Mission 2a - What's New Pussycat?

((give me another perception check, hopefully with some successes this time ))

The crowd gives a practiced chorus of, "Hi Tanaka," before quieting down to listen to Sato's story.

Sam blinks the flashlight on Akane's deck quickly on and off a few times.

((Is it like a data lock? Somewhere where a person would store important information? Or more like just a place for easy access to remember things? I guess, either way, it's worth investigating.))

When Sam has a chance in between providing support to Sato, Nobu, and Tetsu, he investigates Akane's chipjack more closely.
((Matrix perception, right?))
Sam Dekker carried out 10 launched of one d6 :

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Sam takes a look at the chipjack and finds that it currently is empty. Last night when he was looking through her stuff, he is pretty sure that it was not, thanks to his photographic memory.

Sam checks Akane's cyberdeck's desktop for a folder conveniently labeled some version of "chipjack dump."

With the chip gone, the data it contained is also gone. Akane would need to reinsert the chip for Sam to be able to read it remotely. Or if he had the physical chip itself, he could read it with his deck.

Comm to Sato:
"I'm blinking the flashlight on her deck. Hopefully you can see her pocket light up"

Sato keys his commlink 2 times in thanks to Sam.

Sato smiles more confidently and makes eye contact with everyone in the room ((looking for the flashing)) before he clears his throat and begins.


"I have to admit that I didn't always have a problem...I grew up a normal country kid, far from the city.  Farm chores are good for muscle definition, but not at all good for variety.  However, everything changed when I arrived in Mingmei."

"This city is so vibrant, so full of possibilities that I wanted to experience everything...and it wasn't long until I found it.  The last many years have been a blur of extremes - I felt like a pinball bouncing off of everything in the city, making a lot of flashes and noise before moving on, but never making any lasting connection with anyone."

(Sato goes on to concisely but evocatively describe a wide variety of perverted deeds, slipping in a reference of sex on the train intended to evoke what he observed Akane participating in.  If he's identified Akane, he does a judge intentions on her to see if she reacts favorably to any particular story, then make solid eye contact with her while telling it.  )

((remember he was disguised at the Dead End club))



"I'm starting to think that I'm possessed by some spirit, because sometimes I feel like I lose myself.  I need help. I need focus."

He gazes imploringly at the audience.

"Help me."

((for the quality of his story, I assume my Alibi quality helps))

Sato notices the flashing commlink which Akane quickly powers off entirely to avoid causing any rude disturbances during the meeting. She is wearing a conservative full body dress with a black head cover over her hair. Where she was clearly dressed to stand out at the flashy club, she is currently dressed to fit in with a rather conservative crowd. Her breasts are noticeably smaller and she even appears to be wearing makeup in an attempt to downplay her obvious cyberware. She does not make any obvious reaction to Sato's gaze or words, nor does she seem to recognize him. In general, she seems to keep her gaze downward in a sort of submissive manner. Though Sato only physically saw her from across the room, this does not seem like the same person he saw last night. That is not to say it isn't her (he is fairly certain it is), just that her behavior and mannerisms are drastically different. But then, given the radical difference in setting, it makes sense.

The meeting leader says, "Thank you, Tanaka, for sharing your story. The first step to recovery is to admit that you are powerless over lust, and that your life has become unmanageable due to it." He pats Sato's shoulder and asks him to have a seat as he begins to preach, "And Tanaka, my friend, you ARE possessed by an evil spirit. All of the people who come here seeking a change are possessed by a demon and the only way to get that demon out is to accept that there is one and only one Power that can restore you to sanity: that is our lord Jehova. The sooner you all accept his holy light into your soul, the sooner you can walk down the 12 steps of recovery and once again gain control of your life through sexual sobriety."

The leader continues to speak at length about the 12 steps, which come across, perhaps unsurprisingly given the location, as more of a religious sermon than a treatment for people who need help. The meeting lasts about an hour and at the end, the newcomers are told that they should seek a sober companion. Someone who they can talk to in confidence whenever they feel lust taking over their lives. For obvious reasons, it is assumed that everyone's sober companion be a person of the same sex as they are. The leader insists on how important a decision choosing one's sober companion is and that it should not be rushed and need not be done today. After he has fully explained the concept of a sober companion, the meeting is dismissed and some leave while others stand around the back of the room, sampling the coffee and donuts that have been provided.

As Sato undoubtedly is keeping an eye on Akane, he notices that she is among those who heads straight for the door when the meeting is concluded.

Meanwhile Sam has been working the system for a while. While the G.O.D. and host's patrol ice haven't given him any trouble yet, it is only a matter of time before that changes...

Has Sam made any progress on the emails in the intervening hour?

He checks his overwatch score at about the fifty minute mark, so probably twenty minutes ago. ((When you check overwatch score, do you get the score including how much it went up from the check itself? How much does it go up from the check? Really wish I could just be running Baby Monitor))

Switch deck to S7 F7 D5 A4 for the check, and then back to D7 F7 S5 A4 after.
Sam Dekker carried out 14 launched of one d6 :

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((Also, it probably doesn't make a difference where GOD is concerned, but has probably been a big help in his avoiding the IC so far))

Nobu is keeping an eye out from the door frame, hiding himself as much as possible, while slipping on a shock glove on his right hand, keeping the other one off and standing at the ready to grab Akane.

As the crowd starts to file out, he moves to the side and messages the team, keeping an eye on Akane :

Code:


"Hey guys, I've spotted her thanks to Sam.  
She looks considerably different, could be a disguise or it could be that two people are swapping places
((he goes through the physical description)).  
If we had a mage, they could assense her to be sure."

"I'm not sure I have an angle to get her to the storage room, but Nobunaka, please wait there just in case."

Sato walks quickly to catch up to Akane.  If the group walks past the nave (the area of worship), he'll attempt to strike up conversation by saying "it's a shame that the church used to sponsor art to uplift our souls, but now they just give donuts and pithy advice."

((checking your overwatch score gives you the score prior to the check, so it goes up after the check. As for your hits vs resist, your overwatch score increases regardless of how many successes you get. It's based on the opposing hits, not net hits. So unless you are on a particularly shitty system, every illegal action you take will probably up your score. A secure system will do it faster though

Rebooting is actually pretty quick compared to current computers. Once you reboot something, it is back online at the end of the following combat turn. So since a combat turn is 3 seconds, it should take around 4-6 seconds.))

Over the course of the hour, Sam sorts through a bunch of messages which he thinks are appointments for trading information. It seems that this information is always traded in person through data chips so as to make it more difficult to steal/intercept through hacking. The location is chosen because it is public and there are so many hackers about that a pair of people trading data chips would not seem out of place. Limiting his search to the last three months, Sam has managed to narrow down the possibilities to 5 people. He does not think he can narrow it down further.

He continues to keep the security cameras edited, but the last time he checked, GOD was getting close.

((25 when he makes his check at the 50 minute mark))

Nobu and Tetsu are able to see a large storage closet near the hallway that is mostly used to hold spare fold up chairs and tables for use in the various other rooms. There is no camera in the closet itself, but there is one that can see the door from outside the closet.

((the closet is that empty yellow room on the map on the north end of the main entry area, basically right between the hallway to the classrooms and the worship hall.))

As he was seated near the back of the room Sato is able to catch up to Akane pretty much anywhere he wants to. He catches up to her near the closet which is situated near the entrance to the main sanctuary. She isn't disguised at all, her face is still the same face as the night before, she is just dressed like a woman going to church who is trying to downplay her sexuality instead of a woman looking to get laid at a sex club. Beyond her clothing, the only notable differences in her appearance is the makeup used to give her face a more natural appearance instead of the chrome she had at the club and her breast size which is about a third of what they were before. Now that Sato is near her, he can see the hints of her modifications that she is clearly seeking to downplay.

She looks up at Sato and says, "It makes more sense once you are further along the program. The road to recovery is difficult and winding and there isn't a person here who hasn't fallen off the path several times. You should not be discouraged in your search for sexual sobriety. Temptation is a strong force to resist, but Jehovah can give you the strength to do so if you allow him in. Trust me, all will become clear if you have faith."

Sam waits five minutes from when he checked his OW score (I timed that check poorly... He waits until right after the next time his score goes up. I'm out and about and can't figure it out properly at the moment) and he asks Nobu (and Tetsu, if he's there too) to get in the closet for about 30 seconds so he can reboot.

Sam jacks out safely and reboots.

Back into cold sim.

Arrange deck S7 F7 D5 A4

Running silent, hack on the fly going for one mark on the church host

Sam Dekker carried out 15 launched of one d6 :

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Sam resumes editing the video, and lets Nobu and possibly Tetsu know that it's safe to come out of the closet.

Nobu quietly goes to the closet and waits patiently.

((GM, are there still people socializing or are they leaving/moving outside?))