blow some guys to straight to hell, got some information on the guy, managed to scare the crap out of a civy by befriending him somewhere in between the first 2, so not to bad... You?

>>534661
Yup, pretty much.

You got some new toys, an upgrade, a lead, and the chance to blow up a car after a motorcycle chase.

Acquired a crappy lead and some decent hardware, made friends and enemies, made a van go boom with some Fantomas in it, found and then lost true love.
The overall average is okay I guess but my day doesn't seem to have gone as well as yours: Do you still think I'm a bad friend for not waking you up when Keisha was angry but pantsless?

Wire 2013/08/16(Fri)00:44 No. 534800 ID: 4652c9
File 137663907186.png - (9.45KB , 800x600 , 100.png )

"i stole a motorcycle and blew up a van and got a bunch of cool tech."
"I made out with Keisha like a dozen times."
"call it a tie?"
"I don't think so, ese."
"i concede. what happened?"
"We went to a club thing. It was a cool time," says Penelope. "Hadda couple drinks. Then some Flushout. That shit made me pee like a horse, hombre."
"vivid imagery."
"No sugarcoating, man. That flushout stuff works wonders, but there is always a price to pay."
"you forgive me for not waking you up when she was pantsless yet?"
"Not yet," says Penelope. "I don't know if she's gay or just mad drunk, feel me? So neither of our asses is off the hook yet. Speaking of: you make your move?"
"i don't know what you're insinuating."
"Come on." Penelope nudges him. "Domo Arigata, Mrs Robota."
"that's not proper japanese."

"Hey, you guys," Sara opens the door to her room. She is eating yogurt again. "I heard y'all ruckusing. What's up out here? Mission go good?"

"Domo," whispers Penelope. "Domo."

"think i got some info on your homewrecker." 73-6 ignores the ribbing street samurai. "i'm supposed to go meet with monica about it."
"Yeah, so whenever you're ready to do that meet me in the cavern atrium." Monica's voice blats suddenly out of the loudspeaker next to 73-6. He jumps.
"Ooh, can I come?" asks Sara, sticking the spoon in the yogurt cup.
"I'll allow it," says Monica. "She's been of help to this operation and civilian/agent decorum is already at an all-time low with you people anyway."
"is that an issue?"
"Nah. But next time you bring back a civvy informant make it a hunky underwear model or a chef."

>>534800
Sarah is a good cook, though! Ask her if she does any underwear modeling. Maybe we'll have the best of both worlds here.

>>534800
Sara probably has a few models with abs on them, somewhere.
Maybe a ridiculous ab shirt, but then she's blind.

Okay Monica, if you're serious maybe we can escort you to chipndales later.

ask Monica if it's now our job to try and hook everyone in the Bureau up now?

anyways might as well go.

>>534800
why are you not flirting?

>make it a hunky underwear model or a chef.
Well all right, although you're less likely to find a situation where one of those up and saves your ass out of the blue.

>>534848
NEVER underestimate the cook, the ones you should be terrified of are mostly people with OCD as a damn super-power. A chef is a cook that's famous, and those usually tend to be more OCD than the ones that stay as cooks.

We should tell Monica that we're down with trying to recruit a chef and could possibly be bribed into recruiting her some beefcake, but that we could use some mission-profile adjustment to make those hypotheticals more possible and plausible. Meanwhile we should be having fun with Sara charting out the progress of Penelope's relationship. If Penelope starts counter-needling us we should say that it would be ungentlemanly to hit on someone that has to crash on your couch temporarily.

>>534961
A chef is just someone paid to cook. Technically the guys who make burgers at McDonald's are chefs.

I'm actually tempted to make that happen now.

>>534986
>>534961
A chef is someone who has formal schooling on how to cook like a doctor. Also 73-6 you should offer to eat a meal with Sarah and talk through the past two days

Wire 2013/08/16(Fri)22:52 No. 535034 ID: 4652c9
File 137671874374.png - (9.49KB , 800x600 , 101.png )

"sara's a chef," says 73-6. "she could cook for us."
"Hey yeah," says Sarah. "I could. We'd need to hit up a grocery store first, though. The only thing in the fridge I saw was a few cheesesticks, a couple yogurts, and two pork dumplings."
"Did you say two?" asks Monica. "Not three? You sure?"
"Yeah," says Sarah.
"Then somebody is going to die," says Monica.
"there's a place down the street we can go that has really good synthstuff produce," says 73-6, valiantly ignoring the kissy faces Penelope is making behind Sara's back. "you can hardly tell it's vatgrown."
"Cavern Atrium first, Sev-Three," Monica reminds him. "The waterfall was free again."

Wire 2013/08/16(Fri)22:52 No. 535035 ID: 4652c9
File 137671875411.png - (12.71KB , 800x600 , 102.png )

"Cyberspace."

Monica nervously clicks and unclicks her pen against the conference table.

"So if anyone was wondering, this is gonna be a bitch."

Wire 2013/08/16(Fri)22:52 No. 535036 ID: 4652c9
File 137671876540.png - (53.94KB , 800x600 , 103.png )

"How bad a bitch?" asks Penelope.

"For starters, this Dartline guy has so much ice guarding his little corner that we can't even get visuals up on it," says Monica. "You're gonna have to go in far off and make your way there, and it'll be quite the walk. His defenses are brutal."
"like firewalls or something?"
"Firewalls is kid stuff on the Deepnet. The shit Dartline Alchemist is packing will fry your brain like an egg inside your skull if it gets you. If we connect via any of the Bureau's hardware, he'll read it instantly and you're dead. And I don't think our proxies are gonna fool this guy."
"so what do we do?" asks 73-6.
"Two options," says Monica. "One is, Sintex are gods at this sort of thing. They have the tech and the knowhow. With a Sintex sherpa on your side and an icebreaker running point you'll be able to squeeze past Dartline's shit and get to whatever it is he's got stored on the deepnet. But that requires Agency collaboration. And that is never a good thing. Sorry, Penelope."
"No offense taken."
"Option two is simpler and a little more brutal. DA is working with the Fantomas, and they need to get to him. He'll have a path clear for their VR connection to get to him. So we just find a Fantoma Vengadores building with VR access and terminals, kill everyone inside, and jack into cyberspace there. The problem being the clearout, and having to work very, very fast, because we'd need to stay onsite while you were in cyberspace."

I say we go with the Fantomas route. I mean it sounds like both options have a high chance of us having to kill someone simple because we can't get along and with the Fantomas not only are we get a way to dart but are also fucking there shit up as well. Plus we could send 2 agents here, one to go into cyberspace and the other to keep any stray Fantomas of the guy who's going in. Just make sure we have an exit strategy this time around cause even if we pull this thing off without a hitch we're still going to need to make a quick getaway before Fantomas reinforcements show up.

I would love to see the sintex peeps, but I think murdering fantomas is the better option.

>>535036
What, think we can't pull another Penelope and bring over a Sintex guy? Easy. Maybe he'll be that hunky underwear model you wanted, or was before he got into security.

I actually like the Sintex method way more even though it's potentially way more dangerous, if only because I'm sure DA has some shit prepared to cut off Famatoma access immediately. We don't even know if he hasn't already.

Sintex collaboration, if possible, is the only for sure option. Therefore, worth the risk. Plus, well, TriBranch was pissed at us for giving them extra paperwork for sharing the big kill. We haven't actually pissed off Sintex. Maybe they won't put a hit on Sev or Penelope. Because why, exactly? I still don't fully understand what the hit on Sev would have actually done for them besides that they were grumbly over some extra paperwork, and Monica handled that professionally may we say that you're a very good and kind handler thank you for taking that paperwork like a boss. Monica or the Bureau higher ups didn't ask us to kill Penelope just because of paperwork.
Like killing a single dude really hurts the competition anyhow. It'd make more sense for a full scale assualt against the competition, or to plant hacking to steal information.

Wouldn't Sintex like to go after someone who's using their equipment illegaly? That said, I would love to kill more Fantomas.

Wire 2013/08/17(Sat)01:50 No. 535072 ID: 4652c9
File 137672942453.png - (95.56KB , 800x600 , 104a.png )

"i think the play is we go after the fantomas," says 73-6. "we usually end up killing someone. it might as well be them."

"Good deal," says Monica. "Okay, now. Cyberspace. You ever been?"
"i've never had that kind of money."
"Well, that's fancy cyberspace you see in all the ads. Commercialized digital playgrounds for the rich and famous. Harmless to everything but your wallet. You aren't going there. You're going to the Deep Net."
Monica pushes a button and a sprawling cancer of nodes and connections blossoms across the display screen. Wobbly synthesized visuals and labyrinthine networks.
"A worldwide digital favela," says Monica, "where the desperate cross paths with the dangerous and the plain crazy. Why some of these motherfuckers don't just use google is beyond me, but I guess you can't buy biological weapons on google. See those?"
She points to a pocket of warped, hazy data. There are about a dozen of them floating between the digital planes. "Know what those are?"
"what?"
"Malignant AI," says Monica. "Up-and-up VR has safeguards, people in charge, approval processes. Deep net has none of that. So you get these basement programmers think they're Turing's golden baby who make these AIs that grow, rampant in a week tops, sizzle their creators' synapses, and spread across the deep net like tumors. Then those conglomerate into the Deep AIs. Ever read Lovecraft?"
"no," says 73-6.
"Iä! Shub-Niggurath!" says Penelope. "The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!"
"Think that, but digital," says Monica. "The gangsters, the techies, the deckers? They may have controlled the Deep Net all the way down once. Now they just skim the surfaces and hide in the corners. You catch the attention of these AIs, they'll veg you out on a whim."

Wire 2013/08/17(Sat)01:50 No. 535073 ID: 4652c9
File 137672943219.png - (14.68KB , 800x600 , 104.png )

"Your boy Dartline," Monica continues, "is on the East-8 server. Covers most of the Eastern Seaboard sprawl. And it is run and ruled over by a massive slumbering rogue AI." She enlarges one of the nodes to a barren mesa with jarring geometric buildings scattershot across it. "It calls itself Deneb," she says, "and it was made 8 years ago by a now-deceased gamedev to use as an enemy AI in some videogame. Now East-8 is basically all its insane, glitched-out dream. Which happens to manifest itself as, uh, as a shooter."
"so you're telling me cyberspace is basically an fps."
"This part of it. Yes. Well, an FPS crossed with the nightmares of an unfathomable superintelligence born from a shitty aimbot/mob script."
"and if you die in the game you die in real life."
"Well when you say it like that it sounds stupid. But yes. Depending on what gets you."
73-6 sighs, heavily.
"Decker culture, dude! It's not my fault?"
"okay. what's the game?"

Monica squints. "Some arena shooter called Blastlands."

Wire 2013/08/17(Sat)01:50 No. 535074 ID: 4652c9
File 137672943531.png - (9.38KB , 800x600 , 105.png )

"never heard of it," says 73-6.
"I think my hermano used to play it," says Penelope.
"BLASTLAAANDS," says Sara. She turns to 73-6, excitedly. "Don't judge me. Okay?"
"okay."
"But I have over 2,000 hours logged in this game. You absolutely need me. I'm coming along."

Its a date.

uh well she may be a civilian but she was in the military at some point and probably has the best chance with the deepnet 'game' so sure why not.

As a person in a robot body, does she get any bonuses in cyberspace? Maybe she doesn't die when killed? I figure the body would have a consciousness backup or is her actual brain in there?

Hell yes she is.

>>535074
Nothing can go wrong with this plan.

Let's not forget about that Shell upgrade before we go in. Extra Hacking skills will help, right?

>>535074
See if we can get the Bureau to contract her for this mission. We need some excuse for Sara to be able to afford new cloths.

>>535085
>Hacking upgrade
Yes, that would be good. Unless we get offered some crazy gun skill which is applicable to the FPS we're about to hop into...

Shame to waste a pro gamer! Also, I guess you're using that upgrade for more hacking, Sev. Gotta keep the lady safe from the more esoteric stuff so that she can keep pulling the sweet headshots.

I wonder - if, when you're in there, could you have a connection ready to a legit or (semi-legit) blastlands server somewhere else on the net? Or several of them, even. If the AI wakes up and chases you, you dump the link on it, and it gets distracted pwning some noobs elsewhere. It won't hurt the guys who are using the old tactile interfaces.

>Sintex sherpa
I don't suppose there's anyone on our side who's got at this kind of thing? I mean, you know how to shoot things, and you're getting pretty good at hacking things. But there's no experienced superhacker moldy?

>You absolutely need me.
Hum. Well, someone who knows what they're doing would be pretty valuable. Although we have to keep her back and safe while killing the fatomas and getting our connection.

>>535085
So much this.

As long as we stay away from any nodes belonging to a certain J Corporation, I say let's go on a date in the Otherland network.

Wire 2013/08/18(Sun)01:27 No. 535326 ID: 4652c9
File 137681446820.png - (11.42KB , 800x600 , 106.png )

"sara's combat capable and if she knows the game she knows the game."
"Works for me," says Monica. "Okay, Sara. You're a deputized field agent now."
"Wooo!" says Sara.
"Now the three of you have a busy and dangerous as hell day tomorrow," warns Monica. "You're all dismissed. Get some sleep in your systems because we're going hard. 8 AM wakeup."

"This is nuts," says Sara as the three of them cross the footbridge. "We're going on an adventure into a video game? It's like a terrible cartoon show! Only real! And awesome!"

"Well, you two are going in," says Penelope. "I'll probably watch your bodies while you out or something." She raises and lowers her eyebrows at 73-6, who gives her an eye a couple notches more evil than usual.

"So what do we do now?" asks Sara, nearly vibrating with excitement. "Is there some kind of hazing thing? Or something?"
"They drilled a hole in my head," says Penelope.
"I'll just use my internal radio, thanks," says Sara. "Still though. We agents now! Dude! I should drink to this or something. What time is it?"

73-6's internal readout says it's around 10 PM. He wants to be well rested for the mission, of course, but if Sara wants to stay up another few hours, some small part of him wants to stay up too.

Live for today because you could die tomorrow. Should be safe to spend a few hours with her.

You are asleep at 1:30, NO LATER, you understand?

have a light party since you more then likely don't want to do this thing tomorrow hungover and make sure you hit the hay by at least midnight.

>>535379
>You are asleep (with sara) at 1:30, NO LATER, you understand?

fixed

>>535326

Stay up with Sara.

Rest. You don't want to dance around the Elder One's ear tommorow sleep-impaired, even if Sara is technically a robot, and you're a zombie, you certainly could use your rest.

You totally hang with Sara for a couple hours, maybe even play some Blastlands if you hqve enough self control not to binge on he game. And you know what you should probably do before heading to bed? POP that shell upgrade.

Wire 2013/08/18(Sun)15:19 No. 535493 ID: 4652c9
File 137686438643.png - (7.95KB , 800x600 , 107.png )

"i'd be down to stay up a while longer," says 73-6.
"Yeah?" says Penelope. "Well I think I'm still woozy from gettin' my temple ventilated. I'm turning in." She brushes past 73-6 and nudges him in the ribs. "You lil' niños have fun now."

"Good night!" Sara calls after her. "Crazy how you got her a job here."
"i got you a job here."
"Call it temp work," says Sara. "Or friggin' vacation! Blastlands! Holy cannoli. We played that all the time in the corps. Whenever we weren't shooting at real dudes, basically."
"were you good?"
"I was the best," she says. "Well, top five. Hey, what do you want to do now?" Before 73-6 can answer, she says, "Wanna learn your way around the game? It could help, tomorrow."
"do you have it with you?"
"I have it inside me, dude. There's not a whole lot of room on my internals, and most of it I need to keep free for lending out, but I had to bring it along." She shakes her hair out. "Got any universal controllers?"
"a few in the rec room, i think."
"Well check this out." She moves her hair out of the way to reveal a small, raised universal receiver jack in her back. "Pretty slick, right? Just hook me up to a tv then grab a controller and stick it in the back. Wakka wakka."
"that's crazy impressive."
"Just don't ask to see the cupholders. So whaddya say, agent? Ready to get your ass beat by a girl? Robot? Girl-robot thing?"

Boy-howdy!

I'm more than happy to get killed by a girl now, if it'll keep me from getting killed by purple-face later.

stick it in...

i mean the controller.

>>535493
sev if you miss this chance to say a back slot/anal joke i will be very cross with you.

>>535493
Too bad we dont have a VR connection for this.

Another thought: Can she use shell upgrades like the one you purchased? She may need more than her military and game skills to delve the deepnet, and you already have hacking upgrades.

>>535493
Of course we're ready! That leaves only one think left to be known: what class we will play.

Static on the Wire Thread 3 End Wire 2013/08/18(Sun)18:27 No. 535522 ID: 4652c9
File 137687565670.png - (10.30KB , 800x600 , 108.png )

"of course," says 73-6. "better killed now by you than later by some purple-faced asshole."

He tries to think up some clever joke about this whole thing but his forte is more slayin em with guns than with wit.

"Schweet," says Sara, who doesn't seem to mind. "I'll go easy on you."
"naw, man. i can do it."
"You're saying that now. We'll see, sucker."

They find a tv in the break room and set it up in Sara's office/room. He helps her get all wired in, and then she boots up the blood-and-rust drenched title screen for Blastlands.



Then she mercilessly kicks his ass all night.

Appreciate the schooling, fucking LEARN how this shit is different from the real world.
And, uh, try to get SOME sleep eh? It would be really embarrassing if we showed up at 8AM without having slept or gotten lucky.

yeah pull it out before too long.


the plugs i mean.