Location: New Pudacah; 'Merctown'
Time: 11h:40am (about 10 minutes have passed) ;; December 23 111PA, Saturday
Weather: About 50*F (10*C) ; Clear Skies ; No winds
[The Hangman's Tavern]
Jezebel and Millicent
Jez is able to key into the Defenders frequency as she makes her way into the tavern. The area around the tavern is one of the seediest parts of Merctown and she certainly feels as though she could be shot at for looking at one of the patrons the wrong way. Walking past the area where the signal died, she notes a small cluster of a dozen or so houses in the area that are potentials; all broken down shacks of houses and look extremely uninviting. Jezebel sees nothing that warrants her immediate scrutiny, as all the passersby seem to be keeping their eyes to themselves and moving on with their business. The Hangman's tavern has four people out front of it, hanging out in a group around a burning barrel, smoking and holding liquor glasses: all armed and looking rather unfriendly. They pay her no mind as she approaches the tavern entrance.
Slamming another empty glass on the bar table, Millicent finds herself unable to drink away her frustrations at the quickly imposed Lockdown of Merctown. Unable to get to her Grease Monkey for her daily tune-up time, she resigns to drinking at the first low key and cheaper joints in town. Truly, a cesspool of some of the more unwelcoming types of the Merctown Warrens, here at least, no one paid her any mind. Her drinking partner had been rambling on about a group of rowdy neighbors that were shoot first and shoot again types. That is, before he passed out on the stool next to her. Apparently, this low bar mercenary had not had a good night’s sleep in weeks as the neighbors, as he describes them, took ownership of a house near his and fire pop rounds and anyone who even looks at their abode. As Mill waves over the barkeep for another round, she hears a new patron enter the room. From her corner, she sees what can only be described as a supermodel with an attitude walk in; gun strapped and goggles on even indoors with a flair of purple hair. As this person enters, Mill's drinking partner for the day slumps to the floor and rambles about needing more sleep.
Jezebel enters the Hangman's tavern; her eyes immediately catch someone slump to the floor in the corner of the bar and she spots a redheaded woman looking at her as she enters. Glancing around the rest of the room, it is one of the seedier places the arismal has visited since her arrival into Merctown. Not somewhere one would just hang out without a purpose. Off in one corner, she sees a pair of men in plastic-man armor, smoking and trading hushed whispers. Both men glance at her for but a moment, then return to their conversations. The rest of the bar is populated by relative loners, with over a dozen tables that can easily sit four having no more than one or two patrons at them. The bar table itself is only occupied by three, one of whom is now resting in a drunken stupor on the ground near the redhead. As far as Jezebel can tell, no one in the bar pays her any mind. She does not see any sign of undue discourse, and the atmosphere of the bar itself permeates unease.
Acting like nothing more than a street-wandering mercenary to avoid suspicion, Jezebel slowly, though confidently, approaches the bar and takes a seat. Jezebel watches the surly looking barkeep refill the redhead’s glass before approaching her with a glass that he places in front of her. Leaning onto the counter, the Barkeep looks Jezebel up and down before scoffing and shrugging his shoulders.
"What's a gal like you doing in a place like this?" He asks in a gruff voice. Jez does notice that the redhead seems to be paying her some attention, but that could be just because she is easy on the eyes and something new in this seedy bar.
What are you doing?
[The Mountaineer]
Lucille, Amber, Megan, Cordelia
Amber points out the direction of the shop and the mountaineer heads over. The four gather a set of burner phones at hardly any cost, all straight off the charger stands and loaded with the basic Merctown signal card. They will be useless outside of Merctown, but good for in-town communication; each phone has a card for 100 minutes preset. (Total is 200 cr)
Jumping back into the Mountaineer, Amber checks her phone and manages to jailbreak it on the fly; while not as powerful or versatile as a professional walkie-talkie or armor radio, it can now pick up several dozen radio frequencies only while within Merctown. Satisfied she can now stay connected; she begins to suit up while Megan mentally chastises herself for not wearing her stealth armor. Lucille drives the Mountaineer towards the Warrens. After they enter the Warrens, Amber notes no one has yet relayed the information and calls it in herself.
She hears a cackle on the radio band of the Defenders from her phone, while with heavy static, she can hear the response.
"GIRLS. Kale here. We'll cordon the area, but we can't afford to go in force to the Warrens, too many loose triggers. It'll be easier if your outfit goes ahead; we'll move in slowly as to avoid arousing unnecessary conflict; if you put out the SOS we'll move in fast and in force. Kale Out." A Defender responds.
The GIRLS Mountaineer is just entering the Warrens near Cyber Street Clinic and Men of Metal, located on Cyber Street. The location Jezebel mentioned is on the other side of the Warrens.
What are you doing?
[The Hospital]
Susan (and Brooks)
Susan is visibly disturbed by the Defenders not using her title, though they do not seem to react as she seemingly shouts back at them. When asked about consults, the Defender looks to his ally and shrugs.
"I'll see if I can't find one. Stay put and see what you can do on your own, no promises on finding one that isn't preoccupied, but I'll try. My partner, Johns, will wait outside." He responds and leaves them too it.
When alone in the room with Brooks, Brooks turns to her and watches her get down to studying begins examining the vile she still has (luckily).
After familiarizing herself with the equipment in the room, she first finds the centrifuge and loads the vile in it to separate the blood from the silver liquid. The process takes less time than normal as she is separating a foreign liquid from a blood sample and not the red blood cells from platelets. She takes separated liquid to a microscope and examines the silver liquid with heavy scrutiny.
Her initial theory, at least a part of it, is confirmed. The silver liquid is a collection of millions of nanites, nanotechnology. All of which seems to be defunct now. On a quick glance, this is more advanced cybernetics than anything she has seen or even heard of on earth. She cannot be sure how the nanites operate initially, if controlled by an intelligence or just following a sort of program but they are highly sophisticated and certainly of an alien design. She does not see any identifying marks, but she is aware that only alien manufacturers such as Naruni have the technology anywhere near, and even this seems to be beyond what they currently offer to the public.
Susan is broken out of her train of thought by the sound of Brooks.
"Anything I can do to help?" He asks, genuinely and Susan can see he is peering over her shoulder with legitimate interest in her work.
What are you doing?