Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

You mean, This driver's license? He said smiling as he slid one over to River, of course with all her information on it, including a pic River remembered from her surveillance that looked rather nice, the hell was that pic from? A photobooth? Traffic cam? Regardless.

Miss Bronn reminded me of that little hiccup and had already handled it. She's far more on top of things then I am. It's less the chance that you'll be running between cities, as you may be moving some items discreetely over several hundred miles on the rare job. And some of things cannot be shipped or flown. There's also the matter of emergencies and other things. Or say, you break your leg at some point. I require them for employees under myself directly for many reasons, but the utility of an automobile cannot be denied at times. And yes, if you had offered to accept my employ, and twisted my arm a little, I'd have relented, though I would have pestered you about it incessantly. Let's get you properly settled in then. Miss Bronn? I can smell that lovely perfume of yours, you weren't wearing it this morning, I like it.

The odd change was of course, directed at the woman who had someone managed to get into the room without allerting anyone to her presence at all, save for Corvinus who had picked up on the smell of lilacs that barely lingered on the air around her. Smiling at him, Bronn nodded. Would you like me to escort you both so you two can continue this conversation and kill two birds with one stone Sir? She asked pleasantly, dipping her head as Corvinus nodded.

Shall we Miss River?

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The woman took hold of the card, examining it with a frown. "I get the utility of a vehicle, but I've barely ever been behind one, more than I'm worried about getting caught with no license. I hope that rather expensive Mercedes downstairs is an automatic, at least." She said, pocketing the card just as Miss Bronn made her appearance, causing River to jump.

She downed the last of her glass, setting it back down as she cleared her throat, standing. "Yeah, sure. damn fine job sneaking up like that, I haven't been that clueless in ages. apart from all this surveillance i been under, I guess." She said with a chuckle, letting the other two lead.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Something easily remedied Miss River Corvinus said off handedly as he stood and gestured for the Bronn to lead the way. Miss Bronn took them back to the elevator, and then down to the 23rd floor, the elevator opening up into a hallway much like the lobby, the same walls and steel ceiling greeting River, the only main difference being the grey and black carpet under her feet as Bronn continued.

Stopping in front of a door, the large brass numbers on the front reading F-28, Bronn produced a key and unlocked the door. The apartment, if it could be called that, was probably 6 times the size of River's old place at least, covering over 1000 square feet on its own, the living room a little smaller then Corvinus' but still, the place was nothing to be sneezed at, and fully furnished, the exceptions of course being a computer on the desk, which River assumed she'd either provide herself, or that Corvinus would ask her how she'd like one built, knowing him. Stepping inside, Bronn gestured around. Home sweet home I suppose Miss Faulk, There are a few important aspects about this room, and your job specifically now that I've looked at the paperwork myself more thoroughly. As you can see, there are 3 colored lights set into the ceiling of the living room that will flash in case of any emergency. Blue, Red, Yellow. Nice and simple. Blue is easy, it simply means that Corvinus will be joining you shortly for one reason or another, he rarely does this but when he does, it's important.

Normally, Miss River, I will call down before hand, but pressing business and all that. This is simply to let you know about a surprise visit before hand.

Exactly, Red and Yellow are a little trickier. Yellow means that security is on alert for one reason or another, or that a there's something of your more normal problem, and when Yellow goes off there will be a message on that terminal, right there Bronn said, gesturing to a vid screen on the wall between the kitchen and the living room.

Red has only gone off twice since my start here over 9 years ago. And this is a real emergency. This light is specifically keyed to your room. If it goes off, you need to get to leave, and fast, preferably with any sensitive materials, and Mr Corvinus or Chuck will contact you directly ASAP. Please take this seriously, do not hesitate if that light goes off Miss Faulk, Run.

Bronn had had a very serious expression while she went over the odd fixture in the ceiling, but now that that was passed, she showed River around the rest of the apartment, which had a bedroom, lavishly furnished with a king size bed and what could only be egyptian cotton sheets, the other bedding in the large walk in closet, a guest room, two bathrooms, one in the master bedroom, and another down the adjacent hall, the kitchen obviously, and the living room. There was an additional room at the far end which turned out to be a large study probably for work, equipment, and the like.

In the study was a desk, and a safe with a keypad. The keypad is just for show, simply say your name, and the safe will open to your voice print, its range is about 2 feet. Inside the desk you will find a new cell phone with a headset, and an array of number already programmed in for the staff here at the building. Please understand that you are responsible for any guests you admit to the Tower, and any overnight stays must be approved with security first, apart from that, I think I covered everything, any questions?

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River was a bit awestruck with her new digs, walking to the center of the living room and doing a small spin as she listened. Not quite the blank slate she was half hoping for, but probably better than she could conjure anyways, and without the monthlong waiting time.

"I can think of a few questions. Do the other rooms have their own security lights? how soundproofed are the walls? Do you have any qualms about screwing some equipment into the walls? How much lead time does security want with overnight guests? Should I keep using my own cell for personal calls? And finally, what kind of circumstances has prompted that red light before?" River asked, finding it strange that the most apparently serious warning was set room to room.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Bronn nodded at the questions, but Corvinus answered, drawing a raised eyebrow from Bronn before a look from him silenced her immediately for the moment. This room is to do with as you like, simply remembering not to tamper with the lights, or to do any wiring work without letting the maintenance team look it over, otherwise, do as you wish. As for the red light... On both occassions, there were incursions onto this property, literal small scale infiltrations because of the work they were doing. One of my corporate competitors was a little cross with them, and desperately wanted some information they had in their possession regarding a new piece of technology. So much so that they brazenly tried to abduct the people in question in their homes. One man was killed during this incident and another injured, but it could have been much worse.

River remembered hearing about armed men assailing a building in this district about 4 years ago, it was all over the news and the street as even her shitty block had taken to hiding indoors, there had been a shoot out over something inside this building. Now she knew and putting 2 and 2 together was easy.

Bronn, during this little piece, looked more then a little annoyed, but otherwise didn't show any reaction, and then resumed taking over. You may use anything given to you in any manner you see fit, otherwise what would be the point of trusting you at all in the first place Miss River. If you wish to continue to use your own cell, or your laptop rather then having IT build you a personal computer, then that's fine. As for modifications, or new furniture, that's completely fine, we'll just move the furnishings out of this room when your new ones arrive and place them in storage, no hassle whatsoever. We'll leave you know to get settled in, unlike many others here, you have free access to the entire complex, accept the levels of basement 5 and 9. To access the basement levels you place your door key into the elevator panel, and turn it, the lights should be usable then. She said quietly, before slipping out of the room, along with Corvinus, leaving her in peace.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"I think I heard about those on the news, now that you mention it." River replied to Corvinus about the incidents. Bronn picked up again, and she followed along, nodding.

"And calling ahead with security for overnight visitors?" She repeated. It wasn't something she normally had to worry about, but she didn't want issues if something did pop up. After getting that answer, she bid them farewell, going about the business of settling in. She unpacked her clothing, set up her laptop on the desk for now, shifted some of the furniture around to give her a more open space for her morning exercise, and made up a list of things she wanted to go shopping for later.

That all settled for now, she decided to poke around the building some. She was curious about why she pretty effectively had the run of the place. If some of the work done here was so sensitive, why didn't they just keep the floors private, and give her packages in the elevator, or something similar?

She left her place, locking it up behind her and stepping into the elevator, using the key to access the below ground floors, starting as far down as she could go and working her way up from there, peeking around whatever room was revealed each floor until someone stopped her, effectively.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Part 1

Spoiler

Bronn simply smiled at her question about overnight visitors before bothering to answer "Yes Miss River, Sexual partners, girl night, bad movies and wine, it doesn't matter, simply let the security know you have guests." She said giggling slightly, her mood vastly improved it seemed before River was left in peace. Everything went pretty simply, getting set up in her lavish apartment, but when she hit the elevator, and pushed the key in to access the basement levels, a small display popped up, the metal sliding away to reveal what floor she was on, and ALL available floors. This building had 39 basement floors according to the listing, and everything above 8 was highlighted in green, the numbers 1-8 lighting up on the panel. If, as she planned, she headed as deep as she could go, River would find that the underbelly of the building was Vastly different from the above ground complex. As the door opened, she saw armed guards, 4 of them standing in front of a door 10 feet from the elevator, carrying assault
[Tue Jan 29 2013 09:14:15 PM] Courage_Wolf: rifles and in full body armour, glancing at her. Looking at her, they simply assumed, that because she had gotten there, she must have access and that was fine. Stepping aside, they opened the reinforced metal door, and inside were servers. Row upon row of computer servers that carried on to fill a massive room, each block of 25 having a terminal, and near each terminal, a set of heavy carbon fiber briefcases. The sign above the room containing only the number 8.
[Tue Jan 29 2013 09:17:37 PM] Shrike7: River did a double take as the elevator doors opened and she spotted the guards with assault rifles, twitching and stifling the urge to dive for the side of the elevator. They opened the doors wordlessly and she peered in, spotting the rows upon rows of servers. "Huh." She said simply, turning to glance at one of the guards. "New kid on the block, just poking around to see what doors I can open." She explained, shrugging.
[Tue Jan 29 2013 09:24:41 PM] Courage_Wolf: The guard glanced down at her and pulled up his helmet, revealing the smiling face underneath. "Lucky you miss, Corvinus doesn't bring on many newbies. Just trust the elevator, it never lies" He said thumbing his nose chuckling before sliding his helmet back into place. The other 7 floors below ground revealed a massive cubicle farm full of people, computers and coffee pots, a research lab that she admittedly had NO idea what was going on in, because the light above the sealed door said no entry, a firing range for the guards, another server farm, what could only be a stoarge warehouse full of crates and a gruff man behind a wire caged desk looking at her curiously, and 3 levels of recreational equipment, everything from a massive indoor swimming pool to an entire exercise complex being housed on those floors, uniforms provided as well as drinks and food.
[Tue Jan 29 2013 09:34:02 PM] Shrike7: River took note of the exercise level, expecting to spend a fair amount of time down there, and mentally adjusting her plans for her own room. The rest... She had almost no idea what was going on there, but the scale of the place was incredible. heading back to the elevator after sitting down for a snack, she kept going, upwards and onwards.
[Tue Jan 29 2013 09:39:12 PM] Courage_Wolf: Between the ground and top floors, there was only one level that she didn't have access to, and that was the floor directly below Corvinus' penthouse, other then that, from top to bottom it was literally ALL residential above ground, the workers all presumably working below in the complex unless ordered otherwise. This place was a literal self sufficient society and progressive compound, a marvel of engineering in more ways then one. It even ran on it's own power and water, in no way linked to the city that surrounded it, like the tower of a castle amidst the walls and turrets of the kingdom around it, an odd metaphor of the world River now found herself in.
Shrike7: All those people, living in this building... the placce wasn't big enough, from what she could tell. the place she had been given must be larger than the average for the desk jockeys down in the basement. River wasn't sure how she felt about that, but decided it was best not to make any observations about such out loud. Her exploration done for now, she checked her watch idly, wondering what else she had time for. All that time down there with no sun to go off of, she wasn't sure she could trust her internal clock on the matter.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 12:33:56 AM] Courage_Wolf: A quick glance out the windows higher up revealed it was just passed noon, so her snack below was fairly well timed. There was still plenty of time in the day and no one had looked askance at her wanderings, the guards saw it as fairly normal, River obviously not the first to explore the place upon her first day. There were a couple other things to attend to today, but nothing overly pressing. Like the final touches to her room, but the day was hers until her phone rang
[Thu Jan 31 2013 12:39:24 AM] Shrike7: Plenty of time left, the city was still alive with the bustle of the day, more so than usual thanks to the lunch rush. She needed to find someone to talk to about getting a new computer, since one seemed to be on offer for free, then she pondered going out to get some of what she needed to fill her new space with.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 12:41:25 AM] Courage_Wolf: There were a few choices, though the usual, "Hey look! A couch on the side of the road" Solution probably wasn't appropriate. There was always "The Mouse" Mouse was the man who had built her laptop and lived fairly close to her old place, within a couple miles in the middle class hunk of the city. What he really did for a living was completely unknown, but he liked her, and was always glad to tinker, especially for cash.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 12:47:19 AM] Shrike7: Settled on her course of action, she stuffed her current laptop into her bag and settled it over her shoulders, heading from her room down to the lobby, and pressing out into the crowd, then down a side street to give her room to run. She'd head over to see Mouse first, then handle the shopping on the way back.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:03:26 AM] Courage_Wolf: The streets were just as packed as she had feared, people going nuts in the rush to get lunch, to and fro oblivious to the massive structure she had just left, or it's real purpose. Shehad thankfully eaten already, though a heavier meal would probably do her some good later. heading down the back road gave her the clearance she needed to run, and she managed to make it from the Tower to Mouses place without any trouble whatsoever. A rarity given her route. His place was a townhouse sandwiched between a hundred others like it, and if it wasn't for the whiskers painted on his door just below the number 13, it would be hard to pick out
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:08:17 AM] Shrike7: The woman took a moment to collect herself, smirking as she always did at the little addition to the door. She always wondered why weople were always so happy to go along with whatever nicknames they picked up. She hated nicknames herself, but her own name was nicky enough that most people didn't try to come up with another one for her, and that suited just fine. Shrugging mentally, she climbed the steps to the front door and knocked a few times, then turned and sat down on the first step. More often than not the man was busy with something he considered too busy to interrupt, so she was used to either waiting until he was done, or listening for the shout informing her to wander in on her own.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:14:38 AM] Courage_Wolf: Surprisingly, the door opened rather quickly this time, only a 12 minute wait by her clock. Poking his rail thin face out of the door, he looked down "Ahh River! Word is that you got a shiny new employer. But if mr. ritz if paying you, I wonder why you've come here. I figured you'd forget all about little old me~" He teased, his shaggy blond hair falling to his shoulders, thick glasses resting on his nose.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:19:04 AM] Shrike7: "Shit, word travels fast." River replied with a chuckle, putting away her phones, haivng spent the time moving her contacts over one by one. "Yeah, new job, new digs, promises of a paycheck that will likely leave me needing a bank account for the first time in years, pretty shiny setup. But I never forget the 'little old' people. besides, it was only this morning." She teased back, standing and following him in. "I've actually appeared looking for some info, and likely with a gift as well. " She told him. "One of the first things offered was a new computer made to my specifications, but I don't have a clue what kind of stuff to ask for. So I figured I'd come here and get an expert opinion. Brought my laptop too, figured you might want the parts back."
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:22:16 AM] Courage_Wolf: Looking at River with a raised eyebrow, Mouse opened the door fully and ushered her into his house, what could only be described as a cave. The furniture appeared to be barely used, apart from one spot where a laptop much like Rivers was resting, closed on the arm of a couch. Taking her passed the dust and the unused house, Mouse led her to the basement which had seen extensively more work then anything. Wire hung everywhere, and in the center was a very comfy chair, a half eaten sandwich on a large desk, and 6 monitors, all angled at the chair. The computer was some kind of amalgamation of towers behind the desk and Mouse hopped into his chair. "Well River dear, the door is always open, what did you have in mind? Speed? Power? Something a little more illegal? Granted that's all softward but it's available."
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:25:04 AM] Shrike7: "Well, it sounded like they'd handle the hardware aspect, then i could bring it over here if i wanted any of your black ops stuff in it. For the most part, I just want to make sure it will do all the usual stuff, but I suppose if it's free, I may as well frontload it to handle games and stuff, right?" She asked with a shrug, leaning on the side of the chair, her usual spot while they were down here in what she had dubbed the Mousecave.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:30:05 AM] Courage_Wolf: "On the bosses dime? Ahhh, you need something special..." He muttered softly, pulling up a list of files that scrolled quickly in front of him as he typed specifications into a parts browser. Sure enough, the printer made the same obnoxious noise it always did before a list spit itself out. "Now that should be your tower, nice, rediculous, flamboyantly so actually. But let me see your laptop, I'd prefer you had something your boss couldn't snoop around in..."
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:32:06 AM] Shrike7: "Makes sense, though I think you'd be hard-pressed on that one. Check this out while you're at it, I think they know more about me than I do, it's all on here." She said with a chuckle, passing him laptop and flash drive both.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:39:24 AM] Courage_Wolf: Taking the flash drive gingerly, Mouse looked at it before pulling up what he called a throw away, a laptop he saved just to put things on he didn't trust. Picking through it without really having to look, he hooked it up to his main pc before tearing through the information like paper. "Yea, there's definately a lot here, but nothing a good P.I. and money wouldn't get him. Annoying? Yes. Fishy... not so much. Nothing to really worry about." He said smiling, before handing the drive back. turning his attention to the laptop now, he turned it over and popped open the casing. Looking around, he carefully removed something near the battery, before replacing it with a piece that looked fairly identicle. "That should do it, if someone prods around your stuff, I'll know, and shoot you a text."
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:41:30 AM] Shrike7: "Oookay, good to know." River replied, having watched over the procedure, without really understanding it. "So keep anything important ont he beater then, and just use the fancy new one for everyday stuff? Got it."
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:43:19 AM] Courage_Wolf: "More like anything you REALLY would rather not have someone else knowing, even by chance, and as always, it's got a line to me if you need to reach me that way. Paranoid to the core, that's me" He said laughing and glancing at his sandwich. "Anything else ya needed River?" He asked curiously, wondering if they were done here
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:47:36 AM] Shrike7: "River grinned, catching the somewhat less than subtle clues. "Think that's about everything. list, laptop, safety thing. Shall I get out of your way, then?
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:47:37 AM] Shrike7: "
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:50:58 AM] Courage_Wolf: "Hungry" He said simply, reaching out to take the sandwich and looking at her like she was going to steal it for a moment before taking a bite. "I'm a simple creature" He said once he was done chewing. "Stay, go, up to you, but I'm eating"
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:53:53 AM] Shrike7: River chuckled, shaking ehr head slightly as Mouse tore into his meal. "Go right ahead. I got some actual shopping to do, so I'll leave ya to it. Enjoy!" She told him, knowing well enough to let herself out, locking the door handle behind her.the list was safely in place in her pack as she started off again, headed for the mall. She had a couple ideas on what she wanted, but the roll she already earned was burning a hole in her pocket, and she loved window shopping.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 01:59:05 AM] Courage_Wolf: ignoring her completely, Mouse was oblivious to her leaving, and outside, the lunch rush had faded a bit, people now starting to trickle back to work. The Mall was about the same distance, an annoying 2-3 miles across the cityscape. Thankfully the route was a little more direct, a large cemetary providing a shortcut that although a little creepy, shortened the trip considerably and was about as risky as a wet kitten.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 02:04:10 AM] Shrike7: far from being put out by the distance, River revelled in the challenge, the streets now empty enough that she couldshow off some without the risk of accidentally kicking someone in the face. Her hair blew behind and around her, giving her the look of someone possessed, a grin on her face as she used a bench and adjacent wall to scale the graveyard fence, heading out between the lines of tombstones, sticking to the paths out of respect. She'd cut through and along them before, but that was only in a hurry during work. She figured the dead could forgive her that, at least.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 02:10:52 AM] Courage_Wolf: Nothing stirred in the cemetary but it felt a little creepier then normal. Thankfully it was passed about 15 minutes later and River found herself standing at the front door of the central mall, though the stares she got as she moved through the people like a sprinting acrobat always made her preen a little with pride. She was impressive, she knew it. The Central Mall, though not the heart of the city by a long shot, was very large, containing just about every commercial enterprise that could be pounded into 3 city blocks and then some.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Part 2

Spoiler

[Thu Jan 31 2013 02:18:24 AM] Shrike7: Slowing down once more as she neared the crowds flowing in and out of the mall, River swept some sweat from her brow and flicked it off to the ground. The exercise was good, but a little stressing to go all out like that in the middle of the day. She also took note of the taxi stand she passed by just before entering into the building herself, chances are she wasn't going to want to walk her stuff back, after all. she spent most of her day in there, picking up some new clothing, a simple exercise bar you hang from a doorframe, a couple new CDs, and it was there that she passed by her first unexpected buy, a racing wheel for a PC. She picked it up on a whim, thinking it would be decent practice for when she was driving that Mercedes around, whenever that happened.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 02:20:49 AM] Courage_Wolf: She had more then enough money for such simple purchases, although the clothing set her back by a fair degree. It was hers, why not splurge a bit. The day passed in a relaxing manner and as she finished her shopping, several bags looped over an arm, River noticed the sun was starting to set. Probably time to head back. It was then that her phone rang, the tone subtle, but noticable as the phone hummed in her pocket. Seemed the boss wanted to talk to her.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 02:22:31 AM] Shrike7: River pulled the phone from her pocket and answered it, continuing on her path to the taxi stand she had spotted hours earlier. "Hey there." She answered simply, looking around a bit.
[Thu Jan 31 2013 02:24:42 AM] Courage_Wolf: "Hello Miss River, Bronn here, Corvinus wants a quick word about something at your convenience, preferably sooner then later, are you on your way back to the Tower?" Bronn asked as River neared the stand, a taxi standing idle, the driver bored out of his mind since business seemed slow.
Shrike7: "Actually yes. Taking a taxi back from Central, should i just knock on his door when i get there?" She asked, waving at the cab driver through the window and starting to put her collected stuff in the backseat, pinching the phone between her head and shoulder.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 10:24:54 PM] Courage_Wolf: "Excellent! And yes, please" Bronn said brightly, before the line went dead and River was free to continue her journey. Looking out the window, she would notice the setting sun, and for some reason, for the first real time in years, she felt her heart sink a little. Why it made her feel that way, that the sun would soon hide its face, she was unsure, but a flash of the shadow she had seen, that inky blackness, shot through her mind in the shadow of a tree nearby before the Taxi started moving, and a song played on the radio. if anything did, it was the music that dispelled her worries for the moment, even if it was in spanish and she didn't understand a word. As the Taxi continued onward, River would find the infamous Doorman waiting for her, with an armed guard this time as well, the sight of the Tower coming into view in the dimming light, with it's many windows and jeweled lights behind the glass making her hair stand on end...
[Fri Feb 1 2013 10:33:07 PM] Shrike7: River leaned back in her seat, watching her streets go by out the window as she tried to quell the tense feeling in her gut, the music the cabby was playing helping somewhat. She almost succeeded too, until she spotted one of the armed guards at the top of the steps witht he doorman she was starting to recognize on sight. She paid the fare and stepped out, pulling the bags and box out so the man could drive off. "Something going on?" She called up the steps, hefting the stuff to one arm so she could check the phone with the other. No updates, she didnt miss anything at least.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 10:38:54 PM] Courage_Wolf: "Ahh Miss River, no, it's nothing to worry about at all, We simply increase security when the night falls, and of course, that includes an escort for those on official business. Miss Bronn figured it would be best that you become acquainted with this one peculiarity of your employer.This man is Mr. Hervo, and has your updated security license for the building. You've been granted temporary access to the sublevel 9th floor for this job." The Doorman said, nodding at the guard, in simple uniform. Hervo was a younger man, probably his mid 20's with a large scar running down under his left eye, and a domineering physical build, though his hazel eyes and his smile were kind. Passing her the badge, river would see her job title was also now printed in black underneath her portrait. "Information Handler"
[Fri Feb 1 2013 10:43:03 PM] Shrike7: "Alright then." River said with a nod to Hervo, chuckling as she read over the card, tucking it in her shirt until she had more free hands to deal with it. "Pretty fancy title for a gopher, eh? Bronn said i should knock on the bossman's door when i got back, has that changed? do I have time to drop all this stuff off, first?" She asked, looking between the two of them.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 10:44:28 PM] Courage_Wolf: "Sadly that has changed a little, Mr Corvinus will meet you on Sublevel 9, along with Hervo. And I will see that all of your things are deposited in your room without incident. If that is truly unagreeable, then 5 minutes to do it yourself wont cause any harm" The Doorman said, smiling as the door unlocked and opened.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 10:46:24 PM] Shrike7: "Nah, that's plenty fine, just got a couple electronics, so dont kick it around too much, eh?" She answered with a chuckle, dropping the shopping off inside, just to one side of the door, and slipping her pack off on top of them. Turning to Hervo, she gave him a more thorough up-and-down, nodding in respect. The man looked like he knew what he was doing. "Shall we?"
[Fri Feb 1 2013 10:53:20 PM] Courage_Wolf: "Of course Miss River" Hervo said politely, his voice as gentle as his eyes, almost too soft for someone to hear without paying attention, though he wasn't mumbling, simply quiet. Though given the size of his chest, he could certainly get loud. Smiling again, he gestured to another guard, who nodded, and he oversaw the movement of River's belongings himself, while hervo waited for River, politely, to head towards the elevator.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 10:56:18 PM] Shrike7: River raised an eyebrow at him, then shrugged, leading the way herself. "So, been working here long?" She asked idly, using her card to get them going once he stepped in, attempting idle chatter as she pulled the ID back out from under her shirt and pinned it into place properly.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:01:42 PM] Courage_Wolf: Hervo nodded. "Yes M'am, I have been working here since I was 15, in this capacity, I take my job very seriously" he said, still smiling. As the elevator doors slid shut, the key worked as it always did, and the access panel slid open once again, though now, SL9 was highlighted in orange, rather then green that denoted full access. And when selected, the elevator moved normally. As the doors slid open to reveal the floor, River found herself face to face with the largest blast door she had ever seen, fully 13 feet tall and wide, and open. easily a foot thick, the door seemed to have sliding, interlocking bolts all along it's surface, and inside, was a brightly lit, almost surgically clean laboratory, like something out of a bad frankenstein movie minus the corpses, Corvinus wearing a labcoat, over his suit as he handled something carefully within a test tube, and kept his eyes on a large monitor to his left.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:06:46 PM] Shrike7: "Shit, congratulations." River said appreciatively, reaching up to copy the slicing motion of his scar oh her own face. "That happen on the job, or..." She started, but the elevator was already opening. It was quite easily the largest blast door she ahd seen, but that was mostly because the closest she had come was the bank vault downtown, where she kept a safety deposit box. She stepped forward slowly, awed by the space, and watching the proceedings silently, her own gaze drifting to the monitor Corvinus was watching so intently.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:12:37 PM] Courage_Wolf: "Yes M'am" He stated simply, though it was a pained topic given his expression. As River walked into, and then looked around the lab, Corvinus spared her a side glance, before gesturing her over to him while he worked, the monitor showing what looked to be DNA, though not any she'd seen before. She knew that humans had a double Helix, what ever this was, had 3... "Just compiling some sensitive information, which you will be delivering tonight, sorry for the rush job, but it has a bonus attached." He said quietly, hitting several keys, and seeing parts of the strand light up as he fed the test tube into a large, square machine.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:14:52 PM] Shrike7: "I wasn't up to anything terribly compelling anyways." She said with a shrug. "Looks... Interesting. Got the spare attention to talk destinations, or should I just shut up till you're done?" She asked. Her tone wasn't sarcastic in any way, that just seemed to be her speech pattern.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:17:50 PM] Courage_Wolf: Corvinus chuckled, before he began typing furiously, and a disc slid out of the monitor itself. Taking this, he placed it in a small metal case, like a miniature version of the briefcases she had seen just above this floor in the server room, locked it, and handed her the case, and the key. "The Destination, Miss River, is 7582 Dorral Avenue, roughly 8 miles away on the outskirts of the city, there's a large refining laboratory there with my name smashed all over the side. You can't miss it. And Hervo, you WILL be accompanying her tonight, is that clear?" Corvinus said, his eyes suddenly narrowing dangerously as he looked at the guard, who nodded slightly. "Sir."
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:22:10 PM] Shrike7: River took the case and the key, tucking the latter away where the ID had been a few moments earlier. "Think I've seen the place, yeah. Are we expecting that much trouble?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and turning her gaze back to Hervo once she had her answer. "You have any experience with freerunning, or should we take a car? Can just stick to the flat as well, You look like you can keep up easily enough if I don't try and pull you anywhere fancy, at least."
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:26:02 PM] Courage_Wolf: "No experience free running Miss, though, if such an emergency does arise, then please don't hesistate. For the majority, I'd prefer to stick to the flats, the car would only attract attention. If you could meet me in the lobby in 5, I'll go change into something more appropriate" Hervo said, before turning on his heel and heading for the elevator. Corvinus was who spoke next, "We are expecting trouble with this one, this information... Lets just say it's top tier, you're holding the only copy."
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:31:11 PM] Shrike7: "Go for street, maybe a hoody or something." She told Hervo as he strode off, likely unnecessary. Putting her focus back on Corvinus, she nodded, smirking. "No pressure, gotcha. Hmm... Give me a gun, then. Not usually my style, but this sounds like something where they won't be trying to punch me if they catch up, may as well be prepared."
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:32:30 PM] Courage_Wolf: "Hervo will see to that, Now I must get back to other pressing work for the night, please see to it that the package is delivered, I have complete faith" Corvinus said, smiling before turning back to another project that likewise made no sense to anyone but himself at the moment.
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:37:57 PM] Shrike7: "Done deal." She replied, stepping back out with the case in her hand, hitting the button for her floor. She switched out to a hoody herself, emptying the small pack that had already been brought up and putting the case inside, strapping it on and grabbing her knives before heading back downstairs again, hands in the hoody pocket as she walked out into the lobby, spotting Hervo. "Corvinus said you'd have a gun for me on request, figured better safe than sorry, eh?"
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:40:01 PM] Courage_Wolf: Hervo chuckled, in a black hoody and jeans himself, his boots a little heavier, probably steel toed, before handing her a small glock. "Nice and simple" He said chuckling, obviously with a piece hidden on himself somewhere as well. "Remember, if something happens, just run, preferably towards the factory rather then the tower, there's security there as well." He said simply, twisting and stretching. "So, are we going to act normal and walk like human beings? Or run like complete maniacs through a city at night"
[Fri Feb 1 2013 11:49:14 PM] Shrike7: "We'll start with the first, see what happens. Figured we could loop south a couple blocks, would put us in an area we'd stick out less. If shit does hit the fan, I know lots of places to trip up any pursuit around there, be it up and over, or through a couple small spots. There's even an old storm drain the grate is gone on, but i don't think that chest of yours would fit, so that's a last resort. Do you plan on running with if shit hits the fan, or something else?"
[Sat Feb 2 2013 12:02:59 AM] Courage_Wolf: Nodding, Hervo, headed out the front door, and started walking down the sidewalk like a perfectly normal, not crazy person, quite happy with the original plan of Not Draw attention, though this way would probably take them several hours to reach their destination
[Sat Feb 2 2013 12:08:19 AM] Shrike7: River followed beside, leaving her hood down for the time being, the night starting to cool the air around them. "So, tell me about yourself, it's going to be a long walk, i think." She said with a chuckle, nodding them towards the side street leading to the route she wanted.
[Sat Feb 2 2013 12:11:38 AM] Courage_Wolf: Hervo chuckled, "I'm not all that interesting, I was a punk when Corvinus picked me up, good in a fight, had good eyes and ears too, he figured it would be best to see over my training himself, since I was an orphan anyway, and I've been working for him since. I like classical music, and I spend most of my time down in the Gym or the firing range if I'm not working, though i do have a soft spot for classical plays as well, shakespeare is a favourite of mine." He said, following her lead now and in good spirits, which seemed to dispel the way the shadows seemed to almost be reaching out towards them as they moved along the roads.
[Sat Feb 2 2013 12:18:03 AM] Shrike7: "I tend towards classical instruments, but newer music, if that makes sense. At least as far as classical goes. Plays... Not my thing, feels kind of pedantic, ya know? Figured Corvinus must have been a surrogate parent of some sort, starting that young. Did you grow up here, or some other city? Gym downstairs looks pretty impressive, you'll probably catch me monkeying around on some of that gear at some point. Not used to having professional stuff around, should be interesting." She replied in rapid fire sequence, pointedly ignoring the shadows. The fire cheif and Corvinus seemed to have confirmed her suspicions about whatever it was she saw in that apartment the other night, but some part of her still wanted to believe nothing was amiss, that her streets were the same they've always been.
[Sat Feb 2 2013 01:33:23 AM] Courage_Wolf: "He was, devoted and strict, he still is really, still sees me as the urchin he brought up years ago, hence all the venomy looks. Still, a good man on a whole. You must be very good at what you do to have him trust you with that" Hervo said, chuckling lightly as the continued, happy to continue smalltalk, and later light flirting as they moved through the streets. It was at a bridge, that they encountered their first real problem. walking along the sides, River looked down, at what should have been, well, a river, only to see, Nothing. Complete and utter nothing. And then the nothing Moved...
[Sat Feb 2 2013 01:47:12 AM] Shrike7: "I'd like to think so. With luck you won't see it tonight, but maybe if there's any sort of obstacle course or something in the basement there, sometime." She offered in response to his comment on her skills. The chatting continued for a while, River smirking and teasing back noncomittally with the flirting, somewhat used to receiving such attentions. She stopped midsentence as they were crossing the bridge and she caught the odd darkness under the bridge again, her expression turning from passive amusement to steely determination in the span of a breath. "Run." She said simply, bolting forward herself and waiting a few seconds to see how well he kept up.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

YEP! LIKE THAT IDEA! He shouted, tearing along right behind her, glancing back told her that all the lights behind her had gone out, the energy literally pulled from the air as true darkness gave chase just behind them. Despite not being as acrobatic as River truly was, Hervo was still in excellent shape, and kept up with her on the street quite well. his gun had been drawn at some point, and turning back for a moment, he fired two rounds into the shadow, tearing rents in the fabric of darkness that flowed behind them like a wave. The holes quickly sealed, and Hervo swore loudly, before turning and resuming their run.

They were making good time, and the streets seemed eerily deserted now, but the problem was that the unnatural thing behind them, was faster, and even now, River could see the streetlights ahead of them, start to flicker, and die...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Keep running!" She called back, turning to see the shots tear through the thing and disappear just as fast. The thing was starting to draw light from lamps ahead of them now, probably meant it was gaining ground... "Faster!" Off to each side she spotted boltholes she had used on occasion, none of them seemed like a good idea at the moment, she didn't want to slow for a second to take one, nevermind that most of them led to even darker places.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Despite the opportunity, River didn't abandon her newest ally and the frantic running continued, Hervo actually keeping stride here on the level ground, though he was looking pretty damn annoyed at the situation. Looking at River with a pained look, he cursed. "No. Telling. He said through heavy breathing, his eyes seeming worried before he rolled up his sleeve, and drew a knife from his belt.

Slashing his arm more then enough to draw blood, River would see several suddenly spinning blue sigils burned into his flesh flare to life, the things looking decidely irish what with the swirling lines, at least the one look she got, before Hervo muttered something, and through a great deal of the blood on the ground behind them.

He kept running however, but stopped about 15 yards later, when he noticed the lights had stopped going out. Turning to look, his arm bleeding Badly, River and Hervo could both see that whatever he had done, had raised a paper thin, red barrier between themselves and whatever the hell the wall of black behind it was. It waved and pushed and pulsed at the barrier, but was unable to gain purchase or ground so far, before it shivered, and disappated, the lights all snapping back on. Turning to look at her, Hervo sighed, before fishing out some bandages from his pockets, and meandering over to the curb, wandering into a dimly lit alley to tend to the wound.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River's look of confusion was obvious from about the moment Hervo drew the knife. If a gun wasn't working, what did he think that would accomplish?

She had her answer a moment later, stopping beside the man and staring slackjawed as the darkness roiled against the paper-thin barrier he had somehow conjured into being. The... Thing, decided that the chase was off apparently, disappearing as Hervo hobbled over to an alley to sit and bind the wound her had given himself.

River followed slowly, hand on her temple as if she was checking to see if she had taken a hit to the head at some point. "Okay. What, the fuck, man?" She asked slowly, waving her other hand in a sweep starting at him and ending pointed back at the street they had been on.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

The fuck what? I do something, and whatever the hell THAT is backs off, and you wanna hash out what I did... Right Now!? You got some priorities crossed lady, that's for damned sure. Fuckin A that still hurts. Talk about shit I'm not supposed to be doing around you, in public, and in the middle of an open fucking street no less. Corv is gonna skin me for this one, no mistake. was Hervo's reply, and it seemed the cut was a tad deeper then he had intended, he needed help binding the wound, badly.

In my chest pocket under the coat, there's an aerosol can, grab that, spray it on this, please. And well go with the short, dirty explanation just so we can keep moving. That thing? No idea, What I did, yea, that's magic, the real stuff, and what we're doing? We're getting the everloving fuck out of here and into the factory for proper cover and support. Something like that thing should not exist here. Damnit, i need to call this in.

hoping River would just reach in and grab the can for now, and gritting his teeth pretty well said that whatever was in it was going to hurt, regardless, he reached into his front pocket with his good hand and fished out his radio, turning the dial around until it actually came off and depressing a small red switch hidden there. *Sigh* Code 16, Code 12 confirmed. Unknown entity, Code 16 breach confirmed, offender Operative Hervo. Necessity Founded for package delivery. VIP unharmed, full debrief requested upon return. he said, sounding very annoyed, before waiting for the simple reply of "Acknowledged and Recorded" Before the radio went dead.

Well, this is all kinds of miserable shit River, Code 16 means they wont be sending backup, but they'll bunker down. Code 12 was... well, what you just saw. So you'll get the good old fashioned Real explanation back home. But for moment accept that all the legends, the bullshit, and the faeries are just that, bullshit, and that to influence the real world with willpower like I just did costs a helluva lot more then anyone figured. That little trick there? That lasts 30 seconds. Be glad stupid there didn't know that and left. We Reeeeally should get moving, because we're on a clock now...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Well, can ya blame me?" River shot back, frowning as she fished in his jacket for the spray, and giving him a hand bandaging the wound as she listened. When that was dealt with, she hauled him to his feet, and kept a hand on him, in case the bloodloss made him woozy.

"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the help, just... Whatever, let's keep moving, yeah." She said, shaking her head as they started moving again, moving a little faster than their previous walk.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

I can be grouchy, Yea, lets. Hervo finished, seeming fine now that his arm was properly bound up. The can seemed to contain a kind of thin adhesive, and as the bandages shut the wound, it held far better then a cut like that would normally, handy stuff indeed

moving along, it wasn't too long of the annoying, silent walking before the factory they were after came into view, the large, grey building with the Corvinus logo smattered on the side in large blue letters impossible to miss as they made their way.

Reaching under his coat, Hervo hit a small button set on one side which started blinking, and by the time they'd reached the front gate, it was already open, and a full team of men and women in what looked like tactical S.W.A.T. Gear were waiting, weapons up and ushering them inside the complex.

The place was eerily quiet all things considered, and once they were inside a building off to the side, a squat balding man in his 60's greeted River from his chair in the back. Puffing on a pipe, he exhaled a large plume of smoke into the air. Hit a spot of trouble did we Hervo? Miss River? I take it it was our usual competition?

Hervo shook his head and sat down while a woman came in in full gear and took her helmet off. She had shock white hair that spilled around her shoulders and she glared at him before pulling up a seat and a first aid kit. Way to go idiot, I'll stitch you know, bitch later. She grumbled.

No Cylus, that Shadow... Thing, Whatever the hell it is, just like the fire chief's report said it was like, and it kills lights it gets close to temporarily, it's definitely something I haven't seen before.

Hervo would have gone on, but he winced as the woman started to literally stitch him up on the spot, smacking him upside the head when he started to complain which brought an angry glare, but silence as Cylus turned to River.

So you're the new courier. interesting, good choice, fit, young, impressive file for freelance work, And apparently, something new keeps popping up around you. You can give me the case and consider the job done, but I'd like to hear what you think first, Miss River.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

River stepped inside after entering the compound, standing with her arms crossed as Hervo was looked after. She nodded at Cyrus when she became to focus of attention, frowning. "Glad you approve. Suffice to say, I have a few questions. You guys wanna pay me the big bucks to run crap past stuff like that, I'm fine with it, but something that that... If I can't fight it, and I can't outrun it, your packages aren't going to arrive. I need to know more than you guys have let on if we're both going to continue getting what we want. Make sense?" She replied, keeping a firm stance, and most notably, not reaching to pull out the disc from where she had it stashed.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Okay Miss River, two things. Number 1, and the most important I suppose is this. Nothing was supposed to happen, we hadn't counted on that appearing, and our usual problems are well within Hervo's ability to handle. Why do you think he's so cross? He's not used to losing, or running. In fact it's quite the rarity for him, so no, you weren't used as bait if that's what you're thinking. Number 2, slightly less important, I need that disc, and you're not leaving here before I have it. Your debrief about all of this, explanation included will come from Jessica there, the nice woman stitching up Hervo's mistake. So please give me the package, so I can get back to work, and Jessica can fill you in. There IS an order to all things you know, whether it's for your old job, or this one, you know your work can be quite dangerous and demanding anything is never wise. You'll catch more flies with honey my dear.

Sighing loudly, Jessica gave a rather harsh yank on Hervo's stitches before knotting the thread and calling it good, rewinding fresh bandages around his arm. Don't be a prick Cylus, you asked just as many questions and Corvinus left you in the dark for a month. Yes, I'm handling the debrief, but this isn't the time for a pissing match, we still have to get her back to the Tower before this nights through anyway.

Cylus raised his eyebrow and huffed as Jessica took a seat scratching her head. Still, he's got a point, night runs like this are rare, whatever that is, it's important enough that playing hard to get with it isn't smart. So lets get started, but give him the damned disc and I'll start the explanation with this. She said, pulling up her top lip to reveal pointed canines, unusually pointed canines.

3 guesses, the one that doesn't make any sense in the logical world is the right one.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"He's getting the disc, I don't just drop a job like that, especially not when surrounded by this many guns." She answered calmly, reaching to the pack behind her to pull it out. "I just wanted to make sure he was still looking at me when I said my piece. I know it isn't time sensitive, at least not enough that a minute one way or the other isn't going to matter." She finished, pulling out the case and handing it over to Cylus, then pointedly ignoring him as she walked over to where Jessica was standing.

"Vampire, then. I thought Hervo said all the fairy tale stuff was hokey?" She said, stopping in front of the woman and crossing her arms again.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

Difference between a fairy tale, and a Legend Sweets Jessica said, rubbing her temples for a minute as if she had a headache. You'll need to get the full story from Corvinus, who I'm already sure is preparing to do just that, and it will probably put some things about the Tower in perspective as well for you. Regardless, what chased you? No idea, something brand fucking knew trying to claim ground. There have been 7 disappearances in the last few days. That we know of anyway. And as for what Hervo did, that's blood magic, it's dirty, it's nasty, and it hurts. But it's effective, and it's fast. So it has it's uses like many things. Can't just wave a wand and say abra kadabra, you need to study, rather religiously to pull anything off, and even then, it follows the laws of physics without exception. Thankfully this makes it easy for people to dismiss if there's an exposure, but we keep it under wraps. Only humans can use it, so Hervo here is perfectly normal, just well read. There are other things out there, but I'm sure that like I said, Corvinus is preparing a list.

The shit that you think you see in the dark, the urban legends, the unbelievable bullshit that you'd really rather not believe? Good hunk of that is real, but the rules are different. I'll cook in daylight, pretty quickly to, but I couldn't give a shit if you're christian and Garlic just makes my breath smell. Not that good if you ask me. Silver has it's own uses, but not on vamps, Electrum on the other hand... that shits problematic. It's like solid acid. Thankfully it's so damned rare that I don't worry about it. So that's me explained I suppose. This factory is a bloodbank, synthesized food for all of us in the city, and in exchange for free food, we don't bite other people, it's pretty simple. Keep yourself quiet, don't go feeding on someone, and you can eat for free and even have it home delivered. I prefer B+ myself, it has a very metallic tint to it that I just find divine. Jessica added, almost as an afterthought before continuing.

As for your qoute unqoute, official debrief, it's simple. Keep it to yourself, and take the warnings you get about the Tower, it's systems, and the security we assign you seriously. It would be easier if this was some cliche war of some kind, but in reality we monsters have criminals like everyone else, people who just don't like to sit back and behave for the better of all. And they're the real problem. That disc you just delivered? Another New 'Something' that's cropped up that we're having trouble dealing with. And more importantly, the latest DNA notes and coding for fresh blood to be made. It's a helluva lot harder then it sounds and requires living tissue that we have to grow here. I'm sure on your next visit you can have the full tour but for now, I'd rather get you back to the safety of the Tower. There's a car waiting outside judging by the chatter in my earpiece. I'll have that bitch Bronn program my number into your cell via remote so you can reach me if you have other questions, but I need to reassign the security around here because of hervo and the code violations.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Mazes within a Steel Jungle (Shrike7)

"Uh-huh." River said slowly, listening along. "I catch glimpses of stuff every so often, always figured it was best to just keep moving." She replied, reaching in for her phone. "How about you just tell me, and we can save Bronn the trouble? Why do i need to get back to the tower so quickly? Is the car going to be safe enough?"