The Run - Part 2

He went back to bed and slept until 1000. He showered and got ready to go spend the morning busking in the plaza. At 1230, he headed up to the coffee shop. Again, Miz Johnson was waiting for him. She was dressed in khakis and a polo shirt with NeoNet embroidered on it. She handed him a shirt just like hers. BC changed his shirt in the middle of the shop. She also handed him a commlink.

He thumbed the ID. It came up as Roger Kennedy. A picture of his alter ego linked. The PAN was linked to hers, listing her as Pamela Martin.

“Now we wait for the trigger to happen.” She told him.

He nodded. Waiting was the longest part.

20 minutes later, she looked at him. “The drives was blown. We’re on.”

Together they went to his car. She punched in a downtown address not far from where they were into the navigation unit.

They leave the car carrying tool kits. They head up to the sixth floor. Glass doors with Fast Date on them.

As they enter, the receptionist looks at them. She looks slightly nervous. “Hi, can I help you?”

“Hardware support, we’re here to replace the faulty drive.”

She looks relived. “Good, one minute while I call Paul.”

A couple of minutes later a smartly dressed man comes out. “Glad you’re here. It just suddenly stopped working.” He directed them to a palm reader. All the while keeping up a conversation.

Pamela palmed in, then turned and winked at him. BC stepped up and palmed in. Paul led them down the hall to another door. This time only he palmed in.

They stepped into a cold room, with bright overhead lights. The room was huge. It must have taken up half the floor. He led them to a rack towards the middle of the room. “Here it is.”

Pamela starts working on the server, while Paul hovered. BC herded him back from her. He started asking questions. “I need more information on the event that caused this.” Paul looked at him. “Can you let me know if there was any data spikes or abnormal activity?”

Paul’s eyes went distant. “There was a spike in activity, but it was within normal parameters. Do you think that was the cause?”

“Anything is possible, it could have been hackers.” He replied.

“Roger, I misplaced my 12 pin connector. Do you have one?” Miz Johnson asked.

He made a show of looking in his kit. “No, but I think have one in the car.” He turned to Paul. “Can you escort me back out so I can grab it?”

Paul looked between the two of them. He seemed to be debating something in his head.

“Relax Paul, I understand you are here for security. I don't want you to get into any trouble for letting me run around on my own. Quick trip to the door and then we'll be right back". DB said soothingly. "I know you don't want to have people running around the premises on their own."

Paul looked at him and nodded. “It will be only a few minutes right?”

BC smiled reassuringly. “Quick as a bunny.”

They left the room. Once BC was out of the offices, by the elevator, he turned himself invisible and watched the room. Paul stood by the receptionist desk, chatting with her. After several minutes, he started getting agitated. He started towards the server room.

BC knew he waited long enough. He dropped the spell and came running up to the door. He hoped he gave Miz Johnson enough time. Yanking the door open. “I got it.”

“Great, let’s get back.”

“I need a drink first.” BC said still stalling.

Paul sighed but said nothing while waiting. BC made a show of drinking two glasses of water, and then he nodded.

The trip back was slightly faster.

BC’s small talk kept Paul busy while the replacement of the hard drive went on.

“We’re at the longest part, transfer of data.” Miz Johnson announced.

After what seemed to be forever, Miz Johnson said they was up and running. Paul looked distant again and then smiled.

BC turned to Paul. “I need your thumb print on this form showing you witnessed custody of the hard drive for the forensic report.”

Paul gave it willing. “Do you know how long it will take?”

BC looked at Miz Johnson. She shrugged and said “About 48 hours for a complete turnaround.”

Paul started herding them out while complaining about how his night was ruined.

BC drove them back to the coffee shop. Miz Johnson gave him a certified cred stick. BC gave back the commlink and they parted company.

The Run - Part 1

BC stepped out the car. He pulled the bag with him and stumbled into the house. A thumbprint later, and he was falling into bed.

His alarm went off an hour later. The short nap reduced the pounding in his head from a roar to a dull thud. BC opened the bag and looked at the coin. He itched to grab it, but the memory of its force kept him from doing it. Instead, he closed the bag and put in a safe location, under his mattress.

A quick shower later, he headed out to the coffee shop. Pulling into the parking lot, he spotted Miz Johnson’s motorbike. She was early, but then so was he. BC ordered his typical and went to her table.

“Miz Johnson?” He asked making it sound like he didn’t know who she was.

She looked up at him. “BC?”

He nodded. “Nice to meet you. What can I do for you?”

She smiled. “I’m looking for someone to be charming. Are you charming?”

“I’m as charming as can be darlin’.” He drawled. Then it hit him. She was a spitting image of Misti Davenhert. Frag, his might complicate things with Ms. Latham.

She nodded. “The pay is 5K. Still interested?”

BC thought about it for a nano-second and then nodded. “Work is work.”

“Good.” She took a sip of her cup. “The target is a company called Fast Date. I need you to provide a distraction.”

“Sounds easy enough. Anything else?”

“We’re going in as a repair team, so know your stuff.”

BC frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know drek about computers.” Sure he used one every day, but knowledge? That was for the techs, not him.

She sighed. “You’ll need to know a couple of basic lines. Things like ‘we’ll know more once we get it back to the labs’, and ‘hackers’, and ‘anything is possible with technology’.” She took another sip. “I’ll also need picture of you.”

BC smiled. His features changed to dark hair, silverish eyes, and more tanned skin. “I’ll use this face.”

Miz Johnson looked surprised. “That’s pretty wiz!” She looked at him for a second, and then said she was done.

BC’s features when back to his normal ones. “Anything else?”

“Figure we’ll meet up here again at 1300, until the actual run time.”

“It’s a date.” He laughed.

He went back to his place and pulled up some data on Fast Date. It seems it was the premier dating site of Seattle’s elite. Five thousand a month for dues. He logged into dark net to see what the decker community had to say about Fast Date. Rumor has it there is a lot more data traffic for a "dating site” and they have about half a floor of servers. BC shrugged anything more than one was a lot for him. More reading showed there was debate as to who really owned the data. Some say it is Mituhoma, while others think it a data store for NeoNet. Great, upset the yaks or Villiers. Maybe he should have asked for more nuyen.

Just for kicks, he tried to pull up any data on Miz Johnson. Ten minutes later, he found quite a bit of information. Her real name was Hailey Davenhert. She graduated high school at 11, and went to University of Seattle, graduating at 15. Rumor has it the triple AAA corps all want her, but she seems to be content living at home with her mother. She seems really, really good with computers. Mutters of her being a techomancer have been bandied about, but nothing has been proven. He checked dark net and found a couple of posts to the anti-GOD boards. He wasn’t sure what or who GOD was, so he searched on it, and found it was the Grid Overwatch Division. He could live with that. A little anarchy was good.

He checked his chronometer. 1930. Even with the pounding headache, he changed into his party clothes and headed out the club.

He crawled into bed about 0230. Sleep came right away. Dreams came and faded away, except for one. He was at a party. Only this one was different, the clothes were old. Toga party type of old. The room was large and made of stone. Light was from oil lamps and doors? Not something, he could see. He found himself walking down a stone corridor. He ran his hands along the rough stone. Something was calling him. He could feel it in his chest. After walking what seemed to be forever, he came into a bedroom.

An old woman lay propped up on the bed. Old was an understatement. Her wrinkles had wrinkles. “I knew someone would come.”

“What can I do for you?” BC asked.

“Water.” Her voice was a whisper.

BC found a basin with a stone cup. He poured her a glass.

She spilled more than she drank, and handed him the cup back. “Are you here to take it?”

“Do you want me to take it?” He countered. “I’m not a thief here to take things that aren’t mine.”

“Have you done the rites?”

“I apologize but I haven't been taught the proper rites, perhaps you can teach me.”

She gestured towards the side of the room. Suddenly a table appeared in a pool of light. DC moved to the table and started studying the scroll. The lines of text. A test of Might – prove yourself worthy in battle. A test of Wits – prove your skill. Purification Rite – you must bath in the ‘blood of the lion’. Three tests.

He woke with an overwhelming urge to pee. Grabbing his commlink he did a voice memo with as many details as he could remember.

Am I Late?

It's the middle of October? How did it get to be so late? What have I been up to? Playing computer games. Knitting with friends. Working on a story. Sums up my life in three simple sentences.

Here is a cowl I've made for the Eldest. It's angora and wool. Only took a couple of days to make. It's unblocked here.

Here it is blocked. To me, it looks the same.

I don't know how he does it, but he puts holes in his socks. Couldn't tell you how long ago it happened.

Found this pair today. Good thing the pair of socks I have on the needles is his.