"Are we doing a wishlist?  Then I want a laptop with keycard codebreaker software and hardware, lockpicks, quiet clothes, a nice hideable uzi with a couple of clips, street clothes, quiet shoes, a pack with a cleanup crew uniform and ID, and a $1000.  Make that $2000.  Heck, make it 10, it's Vegas.  Maybe we can catch a dinner show."  Screed just smiles.

X listens politely to all the requests and then says, "This is what I can get you:  the weapons I've shown you and pretty much any kind of non-mechanical weapon.  But I can't get too specific.  If it's not programmed in somewhere, I can't get it.  If you want a knife, you're going to be stuck with what I've got.  Silencers I can do.  Katanas we've done many times.  Most kinds of holsters and and other inanimate objects.  Can't do food, so no garlic.  If you want wooden stakes, no problem."  X seems used to Fault's strange requests by now.  "I can get you all the water you need, but it ain't gonna be blessed by no one.  I can't get you any of those symbols either."

He addresses Demian.  "Golf bags might be difficult because they are usually partitioned off into five or six sections for the different clubs, so I don't know what you'd fit exactly.  I can get one, but not one that you'll fit a rifle into, except maybe a shotgun."

To Snow, he says, "Sorry, no laser sights yet.  And Screed, no computers either.  Too mechanical and hard to inject.  I can't get you any specific uniforms, so you'll have to stick to street clothes until we get such a program."

He takes a deep breath.  "But money.  That's one thing we've got.  Take as much as you need.  I'm going to hack into their computers and get you guys full reservations.  That way, you'll get full access to guest areas and elevators.  I'll have to see what I can do about access to anywhere else."

::nods::

Well since you have Glocks, they were European as well....when we go in, I would change my gun order to two of them....

::smiles as he hears that most of the supplies are available::

Locke is standing in the corridor listening to X.  He says, "And this time, please don't go shooting people.  You understand sentient programs. They can move in and out of any software still hardwired to their system. That means that anyone we haven't unplugged is potentially an agent.  But that doesn't mean to go blowing things up.  There are innocent people there too.  You killed too many military officers...real people...for me to feel comfortable with sending you into a crowd in Vegas.  Be discreet."

He steps forward, as if addressing rookies for the first time.  "The Matrix is a system. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around and what do you see? Businessmen, Teachers, Lawyers, Carpenters...the very minds of the people we're trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system, and that makes them potentially our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so innerred, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it.  Nevertheless, try to spare the innocent."

He continues, "We've seen what these agents can do.  They can punch through a concrete wall. Men have emptied entire clips and hit nothing but air. Yet their strength and their speed are still based in a world that is build on rules, and because of that, they will never be as strong or as fast as you can be.  So take heart, but be careful."

He punches the intercom button.  "Silly, how long until we get to the hardline?"

"Twenty minutes," Silicon responds.

"Okay guys," Locke says, "Time to finalize your preparations.  You're going to Vegas.  I expect you in those chairs ready to jack in the moment we hack into the hardline."

[OOC:  As many of you know, I was raised in Vegas.]

Demian stops playing with the edge of his knife, flips it closed, and slips it back into his pocket. “The golf bag was just an idea. A duffle bag will work as well.”

Heading for a chair, Demian goes ahead and joins the others putting their orders in.

“Two Glocks in a shoulder harness, extra clips, M16 in the duffle bag, extra clips, knife, and a couple grand in 100’s...maybe we can buy some information.”

After a short pause, “...oh, and a lighter.”

Locke’s comments seem to go in one ear and out the other, but something does strike Demian as odd.

Glancing a Locke, "You're not going in with us?"

::sits and composes his thoughts::

Ok X, I want 2 Glock 17's with silencers, 3 extra clips for each, a duffle bag, 2 katanas, Leather Duster...Ray Ban sunglasses...cellphone...couple of thousand in 100's....and a t-shirt....that says I'm with stupid...with a red arrow that I can move...........just kidding about the T-shirt::

::smiles wide::

Cutter appears to be trying to figure out where these people learned the definition of subtle. Rather than saying anything though, he just heads for the chairs.

Lot listens to the others as they make their selections for the mission.  He discontinues his pistol cleaning, sets down the pistol and look up at Locke.

"Sounds like we are going in a little heavy, we might might need a little official cover should we be discovered carrying various firearms.  A little identification, out of state police badges perhaps?  Ill be needing an small electronics toolkit if you can manage it, a pair of Berettas with a spare clip each and a knife will complete my request.

"Street clothes it is, make it a college student clothes then, letterman's jacket, jeans, sneakers, you know, dumb, drunk, and rich."  Screed smiles and preps himself for jacking, and makes it with 15 minutes to spare, obviously eager and ready to go.  He hums and taps his foor while slightly bobbing his head in time.  Metallica?  Sanitarium, perhaps?

After listening carefully at the others' requests, Methuselah smiles serenely.  "It sounds like I'll simply need a pair of sturdy shoes, and some light body armor, nothing that slows me down.  For me to bring a gun at this point seems superfluous."  He looks around at the group.  "Maybe I'm a bit too literal in my old age, but in training it sounded to me like these agents don't care how much firepower we're going to throw at them, they'll still kill you if you don't just run away.  I'll grant that any one of you has spent a helluva lot more time within the Matrix, so maybe I don't know what I'm saying.  But my pappy always told me that when you give a man a hammer, suddenly everything looks like a nail."

"All I've got for body armor are flak jackets," X says.  "They might be a bit too visible if you wear them, but we can put them in the suitcases for you."

Demian waits to see if Locke was going to respond to his question.

Speaking to Methuselah, though looking at the ground, “Agents aren’t the only protectors of the Matrix. As Locke said, anyone that hasn’t been freed may fight to protect the Matrix. I doubt if we’ll have time to convince a security officer or the local SWAT team that we’re doing this for the good of humanity.”

Though early, Cutter is already seating himself in a chair. He speaks up, "Agents are also not the only programs. Even if those still plugged in make no resistance, there are others. And flight is not always an option." He closes his eyes and leans back, mentally preparing for his first trip back into the Matrix.

OOC:  Everyone, please make sure your character sheets are updated, as I often refer to those instead of the ones saved on my computer.  Include on your sheets (in a separate column) a specific area listing the items you are taking into the Matrix.  (Since this changes each time you enter and exit, make it easily set off from the rest of the character info.)  If you have any last questions or requests, now is the time to make them. 

 Fault walks toward the chairs, absently rubbing the Matrix-jack embedded in his forehead. "Well, I guess I'll take a yellow hooded jacket, black jeans, a pair of iron knuckles, and some pepper-spray," he says,laying down on his stomach in one of the chairs. "Like Methuselah said, bullets aren't all that likely to harm these 'agents.'"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:48, Mon 31 Jan 2005.

Methuselah nods, "True, we are facing threats other than the agents.  But I worry that if we bring in too much firepower, we'll draw attention to ourselves.  Maybe what I'm saying is we should be thinking more in terms of a surgical strike rather than a full scale assualt on the Luxor,  trying to see how far we can get before firing the first shot."  After thinking for a moment, he concludes, "So I guess I'll pack the flak jacket, and maybe two pistols.  Nothing fancy."

::listening to the conversation::

Agents or no we have a job to do, and I would feel more comfortable having the pistols, then not having them...

Laying in his chair with eyes towards the ceiling, Demian doesn't try to hide his sarcasm. "And here I was planning on going in with guns blazing. You are just out to spoil all my fun, Meth. Fault, the bullets will hurt the agents...but first you have to actually hit one. Let me know how that pepper-spray works though..." Demain trails off with a chuckle.

He does raise his head to regard Locke though, "If you aren't jacking in, then who's in charge on the inside?"

Screed smiles and raises his hand as if to say I am, but then just smiles wider and puts it down.

Locke says, "We haven't had team leaders in the past.  They tend to die too quickly, which then creates confusion as to who's leading.  Methuselah might be best, and also Jade, with her past experience.  The rest of you do your jobs and help out as best you can.  You're a team."

"Besides," Locke says, "I can't jack in."  He points to his head and you see that he has no jackports there.  "I'm a freeborn.  People haven't been out of the Matrix long enough to develop Matrix pilots and captains out here.  X is our only Matrix born staff here."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:38, Thu 03 Feb 2005.

Methuselah nods at Locke's explanation.  "I'm not certain about this, since mission protocols were outside my area, but I believe each ship that takes a team out for broadcast must have at least one freeborn on the ship.  The logic being that you theoretically have one person whose consciousness cannot leave the craft.  Given that the individuals freed from the Matrix thus far all have a tendency to play fast and loose with rules, it would be asking for trouble to populate a ship with nothing but, no offence intended.  Theoretically, if you could jack in, and were the operator of the ship, and everyone inside got in trouble, wouldn't you jack in if you were convinced you could save the day?  Of course, but then if something went wrong, now Zion has lost a ship in addition to a whole team.  At least, that's my understanding of the principle.

"Speaking of fast and loose rules, I'm not interested in establishing a hierarchy once we're inside.  Everyone here has more experience than I do, and we all want to succeed and return home alive.  I would suggest entering with a minimum of hardware, primarily with the intent to infiltrate the Luxor and find this mysterious 'B1' or 'H' as quickly as we can.  If we're attacked, then probably we fight, but our primary goal is this virtual fortress, not just an impressive body count."

"The old man is right.  As far as we know the agents have no leads reguarding our plan to find the digital fortress, nor do they have any idea where we are planning to look for it.  The last thing we want is to announce our arrival and attract their attention.  I suggest a very light loadout, pistols max, maybe nothing at all.  We can always acquire weapons off of the security personel.  At least no equipment we cant come up with a reasonable excuse for having.

Jade listens and says, "Okay, give me two Glocks with 3 clips each.  But I want an M-16 with three clips in a garment bag for easy access.  Just put it on a hanger."  She smiles.  "I'll need a good knife and some rope too.  And work on decoding something that has a bit more punch, okay?  A LAW or anti-tank rocket launcher.  I'm going to need a dufflebag full of various hand grenades too.  You guys haven't had to deal with these agents.  Me, I'm not taking any chances."

::smiles::

I'll take what I ordered before, I'll just rely on my mad Ninja skills to see me through.

::smiles wide::

“Very well then, if nobody’s in charge, let’s just stop the back and forth and start moving forward,” Demian sounds increasingly agitated.

“I think everyone understands the need to be discrete. Our weapons will be hidden from view, so there shouldn’t be any issues, but they will be there if...that is when we need them.”

Laying his head back down in the chair, “Are we there yet?”