Evervigilant 25

<Vigilant_GM> IT IS THE 41ST MILLENNIUM...
<Vigilant_GM> It has now been two hours since Tony left the room. The guards, you presume, remain vigilant outside your door, and even from your suite you can hear some of the revelry Lady Surena's festivities.
<Nitrous> "Where's Roy?"
* Shiv shrugs.
<Baird> "He went for a smoke remember?"
<Nitrous> "That was nearly 2 hours ago."
<Karpath> "Yea, though he would be back by now."
<Baird> "He could've smoked a few. Or the bastard might've slipped off for a drink. Get out of this stuffy hotel for a bit ya know?"
<Karpath> "True but have any of you gone out for a smoke for two hours without contacting anyone?"
<Baird> "Yes."
<Shiv> "Roy had the right idea. Going out and having a good time at a bar or something."
<Karpath> "I guess if he got drunk it would make sense."
<Shiv> "But he's my personal guard and having fun without me so... where's he?"
<Baird> "We could always try and track him down, find whatever party he made it off too."
<Karpath> "Should we wait a bit longer or go out looking now?
<Shiv> "That sounds fun. Let's go."
<Baird> "It's the "bosses" call."
<Baird> "Alright you heard him."
* Nitrous get's up "Allright."
* Karpath nodes
<Baird> "Smith, you'll assume Cipriani's role for the time being."
* Velam gathers his things before following the others to find the bodyguard.
* Baird gathers his gear and moves towards the door leading to the hallway.
<Nitrous> "Okay."
* Shiv gets his gear to join the 'search party.'
* Karpath goes to his room and grabs his Bolt Pistol and a few other pieces of gear before meeting with the rest of the group.
* Shiv takes the spare equipment in the bag and hides it in the closet.
<Vigilant_GM> As may have been expected, the two uniformed guards remain outside your door.
<Vigilant_GM> The guard on the right moves his wrist close to his mouth and mouths something.
<Baird> "Just looking for one of ours that left some time ago. Still no intention of "ruining" your mistresses party."
<Velam> +It seems the guards are telling on us to their boss.+ He says into his microbead, using Karpath as a shield to block his own person.
* Baird addresses the guard as he heads towards the stairwell l,eading to the lobby.
* Karpath follows Baird.
* Shiv follows Baird.
* Nitrous follows along
<Vigilant_GM> Several paces behind, the two guards turn and begin to follow. They make no attempt to hide their movements.
* Velam follows at the tail.
* Baird makes his way into the stairwell and begins to descend towards the lobby of the hotel.
* Karpath also makes his way down the stairs
<Vigilant_GM> The lobby itself is busy with the Rogue Trader's guests arriving and mingling, exotic drinks in hands.
<Vigilant_GM> Eyes turn to you, then. Especially Nitrous. Some are startled by this and quickly move out of your way.
<Velam> "Oh my, a sort of extra party it seems.
<Nitrous> "Hrm."
<Vigilant_GM> From the spreading crowd, you suddenly find yourselves flanked on either side by more guards on your way out.
* Velam chuckles aloud. "We have our own escort as well, most perturbatory."
* Baird ignores the guards for the most part. "It seems so Thaddeus."
* Shiv says to Velman "Not the attention I was hoping for, but..." He giggles a bit.
<Vigilant_GM> Exiting the lobby, the guards remain behind, a wall of them closing behind you.
* Baird steps out onto the sidewalk and surveys the nearby area.
<Karpath> "So where should we check first."
<Vigilant_GM> Well into the night-cycle, this area of the Hive nonetheless remains active.
<Vigilant_GM> A group of lho-smokers congregates in an area just past the auto-wagon entry to the Hostel.
* Nitrous starts looking for traces of tony while not straying too far from Shiv
<Velam> "Perhaps we should start simple and ask them?" He points at the group smoking.
* Baird nods over towards them. "Lets."
* Velam backs the gunslinger up.
* Baird heads over to the group of smokers with Velam behind him.
<Baird> "Evening gents. Sorry to intrude but I've got to ask you some questions for my boss." Baird gestures with one hand over towards "Mr. Pettibon", and sighs heavily.
* Shiv walks up with glee.
<Vigilant_GM> They eye you cautiously for a while.
<Vigilant_GM> "No war here, soldier."
<Vigilant_GM> The others laugh.
<Baird> "Seems one of the men on guard duty came out for a smoke and now my employer is in a fuss.
<Baird> "I'd appreciate it if you could point me in his direction."
<Shiv> "Where's ROY? Did he leave again with telling me. The nerve! Probably getting drunk and.. and without ME... and... BY THE EMPEROR! Where is he?"
* Baird begins giving the description of Tony before being interrupted by "Mr. Pettibon".
<Vigilant_GM> The tall, camp man takes in another draft of his thin lho-stick, letting smoke rise between his sweeping eyes and the brat.
<Baird> "Mr. Pettibon it is being handled. Please go back to the group sir. It will be taken care of."
<Shiv> "Fine! HMMHH". He stomps away to the rest of the group.
<Baird> After Mr. Pettibon returns to the group Baird apologizes and again begins providing the description of Tony.
<Vigilant_GM> "Charming little imp," he comments, lho-stick still in his mouth as he shakes a lighter in his hand.
* Velam supports Baird by apologizing for the actions of his master as well.
<Baird> "Not the word I'd use personally, but if you could point me towards the man I'd really appreciate it."
<Vigilant_GM> "Hmm," a smile begins to form as he removes the lho-stick from his lips. "Would be a shame if a strong handsome man like you were given a hard time by... that," he points without subtlety at Shiv.
<Vigilant_GM> "I hate to be the indiscreet sort, darling, but your friend may have had a meeting of sorts," he nods across the street.
<Vigilant_GM> "The two seemed... eager," he winks.
<Vigilant_GM> "Still, in an alley is better than on the open street" he laughs.
<Velam> "Oh my." He scratches his chin as he looks across the street.
<Baird> "I suppose so. Appreciate it gentlemen. I best get on before he has a conniption."
* Baird begins moving across the street watching for traffic and the such as he goes. +Seems two people jumped him and dragged him into an alley. On my way there now.+
<Vigilant_GM> "Rude of you to interrupt," he says with a nod as he flicks the spent lho-stick to the ground.
<Shiv> +If he's dead, I call dips on his stuff.+
* Karpath begins to follow Baird.
* Velam follows after Baird, worrying about what may be found.
* Nitrous follows along with Shiv.
<Vigilant_GM> The alleyway is barely lit, by the lights of passing traffic, the glow of the Roseburry Hostel's storey-high sign.
<Velam> +Rather dark in here.+
<Baird> +I can see perfectly fine, in fact..+ Baird moves over towards a nearby wall and inspects the broken device.
* Karpath pulls out his auspex scanner to start scanning for any evidence of Tony.
<Baird> +Seems they ripped off and busted his comm-bead.+ Baird raised the destroyed piece up to be seen by the others.
<Nitrous> "That's not good."
<Karpath> "Found something as well, some sort of rare chemical compound, not sure what it is though."
<Nitrous> "Let me take a look."
* Karpath motions over for Nitrous to come over and check it.
* Baird begins searching for where the boot prints may lead.
* Nitrous takes a look at the chemical with the help og Shiv.
<Vigilant_GM> A rare substance, indeed, as the acolytes identify it as a rare sedative sometimes used by well-connected, and well-supplied criminal cartels.
<Velam> "Found something else Mr. Vestian?"
<Nitrous> "Bad news we got a rare sedative."
<Nitrous> "Good news means it's easier to trace."
<Karpath> "Seems they didn't want him to wake up."
<Baird> "Just that the prints head back out onto the street."
<Shiv> "Expensive as feck."
<Baird> "Which makes following them that much harder."
<Velam> "Hmmm, I take it there were no pict recorders on the street?"
* Shiv whispers +Think it's Guljian or that Rogue Trader? They would have connections+
<Velam> +Rogue Trader would make some sense.+
<Shiv> +Trying to get rid of us?+
* Baird begins heading back across the street to where the group of smokers were before.
* Velam follows him again.
<Karpath> "Looks like.... I think.... Yes I got it, there is a weak trail of the substance that we can follow of in the direction of the foot prints."
* Karpath he follows the trail into the street, but it goes cold, but the device tels him the is more, he makes his way back to the alley and finds another trail, leading to the side of the Hotel.
<Karpath> +Guys I got a trail.+
<Karpath> +Though you are not going to like where it leads.+
* Baird stops before crossing the street. +You're sure?+
<Velam> +Back to our hotel?+
<Karpath> +Yes its is the same substance as the one in the alley, it leads to the side of the Hotel.+
<Baird> +Fuck.+
<Shiv> "...feck."
<Velam> +It's as I feared. Alas.+
* Baird heads back towards the alleyway where the group is.
<Baird> "Lead the way Katarn."
* Shiv looks at Nitrous and says "Gun."
* Nitrous follows along
* Shiv keeps up with Nitrous.
* Karpath begins to lead the group in the dirrection of the trail across the street and then to the side of the hotel where the trail leads him to.
* Nitrous hands his handflamer as the group moves along
<Velam> Rejoins Karpath with Baird.
<Vigilant_GM> The side-street along the Hostel is a ramp that leads traffic into and out of a lower hab level and across a wide bridge out of the foreign mercantile disctrict.
<Vigilant_GM> On the far end, just before the street disappears into the tunnel, you see two skim-bike vehicles parked along the side, engines running. Two men make an exchange. Here, the Auspex readings of the substance begin to peak.
* Karpath puts his hand up to stop the group and points to the area with the skim-bike.
<Nitrous> "Ambush?"
<Baird> "Let's introduce ourselves."
* Karpath whispers "Looks like they are making some sort of exchange."
<Velam> "Indeed, let's."
<Shiv> +Probably, Tony's body.+
* Baird begins approaching the two men on the bikes
<Vigilant_GM> One of them turns his helmed head towards the approaching acolytes.
<Vigilant_GM> He closes his visor, and hops on his vehicle.
<Vigilant_GM> The other packs something, and follows suit.
<Velam> +There they go.+
* Baird quickdraws his plasma pistol and fires off a blue bolt of energy that burns a hole through the man, leaving the parcel and vehicle untouched.
<Vigilant_GM> His companion bolts out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting shot by Nitrous.
<Vigilant_GM> In seconds, he is in the tunnel.
* Nitrous quickdraws his sniper rifle at the other driver, but he dodges
<Velam> "We should hurry, someone will have heard that."
<Baird> "Agreed."
<Nitrous> "Yup."
* Karpath nods and begin to make his way up to where the dead bikers lies.
* Baird hurries over to the bike and investigates the parcel the man had packed.
* Nitrous follows along
* Velam keeps watch.
<Vigilant_GM> The parcel itself has a large amount of scrip in it.
* Shiv rushes to Baird's side.
<Nitrous> "That's not Tony."
<Baird> "............You don't say..."
<Shiv> "You mean 'Roy'. Anyway..."
<Velam> "My, what a fortune."
<Baird> "We spend none of it. We may be able to trade this shit in for Roy."
<Baird> "They tend to care more about profits than anything else."
<Nitrous> "All right."
<Vigilant_GM> Despite your find, the scanner continues to show a concentration of various substances.
* Velam investigates the skimmer bike, particularly the strap dangling off the side.
<Velam> "Intriguing." With the help of his servoskulls he traces where the hinges are on the vehicle to see about getting the compartment open.
<Velam> +Found something on the bike, my friends.+
<Baird> +Excellent work Thaddeus.+
<Vigilant_GM> A tug of the strap opens up the seat on its side.
<Vigilant_GM> Within, several kilograms of various substances.
<Velam> "My oh my. I believe the appropriate term here is jackpot."
<Shiv> "Oh, Oh, Oh, OH! GIMME."
<Nitrous> "Oh no..."
<Velam> "Master! Please restrain yourself."
<Baird> "No sampling!"
<Shiv> "Oh fine."
<Baird> "We may need to trade this and the cash for Tony's return."
<Shiv> "Roy."
<Baird> "Yes."
<Shiv> "Half of this is spook."
<Nitrous> "Don't take it all in one go."
<Shiv> "And some of the knock stuff."
<Velam> "Well, let's leave it as is...in a bag...with us."
<Baird> "I repeat. No sampling. Yes we'll take it back with us and see if we can make contact with whoever may be pushing this shit onto the street."
<Shiv> "I heard you the first time, Jeez."
<Baird> "Let's head back."
<Velam> "Alas, we still aren't sure where our associate is."
<Karpath> "Agreed."
<Shiv> "I guess. We got no other leads."
<Nitrous> "Understood."
<Baird> "Before we head back..someone write up a note and hide it discreetly on the bike. Hopefully the man who got away reports back in. They come investigate and find the note. They find us."
<Vigilant_GM> As Shiv begins to work to disable the vehicle, and Velam writes a note, a vehicle slows down on the ramp and pulls to a side. You hear two doors open and close in quick succession.
<Velam> "I shall." Taking any and all requests Velam writes a very nice note about who has confiscated the drugs and would be willing to trade the drugs back. He attaches it to the seat. Before hearing the vehicle behind them.
* Nitrous stays on guard
* Baird turns towards the vehicle hands on weapons.
<Vigilant_GM> "Who the fuck are you?"
<Baird> "Same goes to you."
<Vigilant_GM> The two men continue approaching.
<Vigilant_GM> "I don't give a fuck how new to the job you are. If you don't know me, you won't last the week."
<Vigilant_GM> He steps close now, into the light. A large man, fat, yet firm in figure. He wears jewelry, and fine cloth.
<Baird> "We aren't your associates. But we believe you have one of ours."
<Baird> "Providing you are in fact the person that employs the men who ride these around performing errands and the like." Baird jerks his head towards the bike.
<Vigilant_GM> He looks behind at the dead man.
<Vigilant_GM> "Hire?" he laughs.
<Vigilant_GM> "You think that works for me? I don't give a fuck who runs the poison. If you're going to do business here, you pay for the privilege. Do we understand eachother?"
<Baird> "Ah. Then there has been a misunderstanding. We are looking for someone who DOES run the poison. They took someone of ours. So if you aren't that person then you should either point us in that direction or get the fuck out of our way. We have no interest on your "business ventures.""
<Vigilant_GM> "In that case, whatever that rat had on him is mine."
<Vigilant_GM> "Take over his run, and pay your cut, or get the fuck out of here. You think the law hasn't stopped you 'cause they forgot all about their job?"
<Baird> "You are outnumbered. You should either help or walk away. We have no interest in what's on him. You shed some light on our issue. You get what's yours. We avoid bloodshed. Namely. Yours."
<Vigilant_GM> He and his companion laugh.
<Vigilant_GM> "I don't think you understand."
<Vigilant_GM> Several passing civilians converge, then. One of them, you recognize from the group of lho-smokers. Another, a uniformed member of the local sanctionary precinct.
<Vigilant_GM> "The numbers are on my side."
<Velam> "Hmmm, most troubling."
* Karpath whispers into his coms +They got at least a dozen from what I see.+
<Baird> "If you want to start a shootout on the street be my guest. I doubt it'd be very good for business. A few of us may be wounded. But you will most assuredly be a corpse. Hard to take your cut when you aren't breathing."
<Vigilant_GM> "You're right. I won't start a shootout. Not on these streets. But I won't hesitate to end one."
<Vigilant_GM> He takes a step forward, and outstretches his hand, "Give me what belongs to me."
<Baird> "I already told you the arrangement. Tell us who pushes the poison and you can have it. Again we aren't interested. But my employer won't take one of his men being taken kindly. I can't go back empty handed. So it's easy. Tell us where to find the shitstain is who employs that one." Baird gestures pointedly at the dead man slumped over the bike. "And you can have it all, put us in your rear view and never fucking see us again."
<Vigilant_GM> "Self-made man. Had 'is own run on these streets. Paid me."
<Vigilant_GM> "Directly, and without bullshit," he says with emphasis.
<Vigilant_GM> "Now. My cut."
<Vigilant_GM> His right eye emits a low red glow.
* Baird retrieves the bag of scrip and tosses it over.
<Vigilant_GM> He catches it with his right arm. You notice an odd partition at the elbow. It is a cybernetic.
<Velam> "Most perturbatory."
<Vigilant_GM> "Good man. Keep the bike, and whatever the fuck else he had. Dump the body."
<Nitrous> "Indeed."
<Vigilant_GM> He eyes Nitrous for a moment.
<Vigilant_GM> "Hand that pretty rifle you have there to me, and I'll help you find your romantic interest."
<Nitrous> "No..."
<Baird> "We'll manage."
<Vigilant_GM> "Not worth the scrip on that bag, not worth the weapon on your shoulder. Must be some value you place on that... associate."
<Vigilant_GM> He turns, and walks to his vehicle.
<Vigilant_GM> The converging crowd begins to disperse, disappearing into the general population.
<Velam> "Well...what now my friends?"
<Karpath> "Well that went well, guess we get to save that bike."
<Shiv> "No leads, no clues, no nothing."
<Baird> "Incinerate the body and Katarn can drive the bike back. Can't have Mr. Pettibon seen driving about on it."
* Shiv pulls out his hand flamer.
<Shiv> "NO! I WANT THE BIKE!"
<Shiv> "Someone drag his body off my bike."
* Karpath goes off to look for a bin in which they can dump the body.
<Baird> "Seems you've volunteered for corpse duty Smith.
<Karpath> +Found a bin, not to far from you too.+
* Nitrous drags the corpse to the dumpster
<Nitrous> "Fire time."
* Nitrous BODY IN DUMPSTER
* Shiv sets the dumpster on fire.
* Karpath walks back to where the rest of the group is and the bike.
* Shiv takes the bike.
<Velam> "Shall we return to the hotel for now?"
<Karpath> "Yep I guess so, though I think the bike needs to be fixed first."
<Baird> "I think that would be best. Especially since Mr. Pettibon is already headed that way on his new toy."
<Shiv> "WWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

<Tony> "WHERE THE HELL AM I?"
<Tony> "What the hell do you want from me?!"
<Vigilant_GM> The man approaches Tony and stretches out his hand. "First, I would like to help you up."
<Tony> "Where the frak am I?"
<Vigilant_GM> "Hive Desoleum. A pit of misery, poverty, and agony," he lifts Tony up from behind, righting the chair.
<Vigilant_GM> "Though, evidently, a pit stop for the likes of your employer."
<Tony> "What do you want with my employer?"
<Vigilant_GM> "Someone as powerful as that oughta have better taste, don't you think?," he smiles.
<Vigilant_GM> "Your employer? Nothing."
<Tony> "Then what do you want with me?"
<Vigilant_GM> "That isn't the sort of boundless authority I want to upset. So I was clean in my work. Thorough."
<Vigilant_GM> "Me? I simply wish to turn you over to those who have offered to pay me for my work."
<Vigilant_GM> "Offered to pay me, for you. The Pariah they have sought for so long."
<Tony> "The frak is the Pariah?"
<Vigilant_GM> "You, of course."
<Tony> "If they wanted me they could asked, instead of this."
<Vigilant_GM> "Making a request like that to someone like your employer? A death sentence."
<Vigilant_GM> "No doubt even now your associates will be pursuing every dead end I have prepared. It is best that you accept your fate."
<Tony> "Then what's next then?"
<Vigilant_GM> "It will be necessary to alter a number of things before you are inducted. A mind-wipe."
<Vigilant_GM> "It will be painful. But I promise you will remember none of it. The sweet mercy of ignorance. Blissful ignorance."
<Tony> "You want me alive don't you?"
<Vigilant_GM> "I will take care of you, yes."
* Tony quickly moves his my free hand to wrap the chain of the metal shackles around my neck and begins to choke himself
<Vigilant_GM> "Fool, you damned fool!" the man lunges forward.