As the Hyperion speeds away to the tunnels beneath the earth, you catch one last sight of the huge worm-like creature engaged in battle against the many Sentinels clustered around it like ants.  As though given courage by the worm, the mutant creatures swarm out of the tunnel, jumping and slashing with their claws.  You see many Sentinels falling in a battle unlike anything you could imagine.  Pieces of Sentinel fall as nothing more than scrap metal beneath the razor-like claws of the only predators the Sentinels know, something their circuitry was obviously unequipped to handle.  Seeing hundreds of mutants, the giant worm, and probably a thousand Sentinels battle it out, you are glad to have escaped…and glad not to be a part of that battle.

Silicon, your pilot, finds the tunnels and you begin your descent into the bowels of the earth, glad to finally be returning to Zion.  Jammer, the resident medic, begins patching you up.  A couple hours pass as you recuperate and rest.

Locke seems to be thinking deeply.  Finally, he says, “We have to harness this power.  I’ve never seen anything take on the Sentinels like that.”

Sam, the only other surviving scientist of the four you went in to rescue, says, “Preserve that mutant corpse, and we’ll have to see what we can do.  You have scientists who can research that type of thing?”

Locke nods, still in thought.

“Where are we going?” Elle asks.

“Zion,” X says.  “Or as I like to call it…heaven.”  Sam and Elle look confused, so X explains that Zion is the city of those freed from the Matrix, and the freeborn as well.

Locke begins pacing.  He looks at the bodies of your friends, those killed in the last two missions.  “How’s the research on the CD’s going?” he asked, indicating the data you managed to upload after the first mission.

“It’s coded really well.  I’m not sure I can break it.  We might have to take it back to Zion.”

Sam begins to laugh, a deep rumbling from his gut.

“What?” X asks, somewhat perturbed.

“We all programmed different parts of the code, but it’s locked in partitioned locks.  We’re gonna need Vincent.  He locked it with some unbreakable code he claims he invented.”

“Oh,” X says, cheeks flushing red.  “Who’s that?”

“He is master of the Matrix code.  Vincent Giovanni.  He was working on some serious recoding that would knock your socks off.  He claimed he could reprogram reality and create his own contained universe.  When we started to figure out who these agents were, Vincent said he was going to escape to his own created world.  He created a bubble inside the Matrix where he could live.  He’s one of the only programmers who didn’t want to leave the Matrix.”

Elle comes to life.  “Digital Fortress.  That’s what he called it.”

“He said the agents could never get to him inside,” Sam says.  “Unfortunately, that means we can’t get to him either.”

“He was a bit strange,” Elle says.

“A bit?  The man hated everyone.  He was in a wheelchair his whole life.  Thought a debilitating disease made it okay to treat everyone like—”

“Sam!” Elle interrupts.  “The guy had some serious problems.  Wheelchair, cokebottle glasses, hair loss, and those growths on his skin.  I mean, he was practically Stephen Hawking, ‘cept he could use both arms.  But he was smarter than Hawking.”

Locke holds up a hand.  “Okay, so you’re saying you need this guy to break the codes we uploaded?”

Sam nods slowly.  “It was our failsafe.  Different people work on different parts.  No one knows everything.  That way if any of us got caught, the computers couldn’t get the information from us.  Of course, if anyone can break all the failsafes, it’s Vincent.  But we can’t get to Vincent.”

“You’re forgetting the chain,” Elle says with a smile.

“The chain?” Locke asks.

“Yes.  You see, to protect the code, if something happens to one of us, another knows how to reach the other and access his codes.  That way, the code’s not lost.”

Sam throws up his arms.  “But we don’t know who the link before him is.  If we don’t know the link in the chain, we can’t reach him, can we?”

Elle smiles.  “I know who the link is.  Someone he trusted.”

Sam frowns.  “Please don’t tell me it’s Ted.  He just died out there on the tracks.”

“Nope,” Elle responds.  “It’s me.  I know how to get us into Digital Fortress.”

Locke ponders this a moment.  Then he looks over at the body of Binary, whose lifesigns are still going strong.  “Does this Vincent know about these agents we encountered?”

Sam nods.  “More than anyone.  He knew where all their hubs in the Matrix are.”

“And could he find where they took Binary?”

“Binary?”

Locke nods toward Binary’s body.  “Mike’s handle outside the Matrix.  The agents kidnapped him.  Who knows what kind of information they’ll extract about Zion and everything else they need to know to destroy us.”

“I bet Vincent could tap into the Matrix and find out exactly where they took Mike.”

Elle chimes in, “If he can’t, no one can.”

Locke hits the intercom button.  “Silly,” he calls.

Silicon, still resenting the nickname, says, “What?”

“Are we in communication range with Zion yet?”

“Only if I stop and grab a hardline.”

“Do it.”

You feel the Hyperion lurch and slow to a stop.  Winches move and finally something connects up to a hardline.  Locke connects with Councilman Gray.  He explains the situation.  “Sir, I think our only course of action is to go back immediately and find this Vincent.  But we don’t have the manpower to do it after losing so many.”

Councilman Gray says, “The Freebird is only a couple hours away.  I will authorize a personnel transfer.  Send one of the scientists back to work on the data decryption.  Also, transfer the bodies, except for Binary, and send the corpse of that mutant creature.  The other scientist can help deal with this Vincent, along with any of your crew who are up to the job.”

“Agreed.”

You sit and wait, realizing that you won’t be seeing Zion today.

Lot felt a small degree of regret that they would not return home just yet.  Would have been nice to be treated as a hero, even for a day.  With the body count as high as it was it was looking less and less likely that he would ever see home again.  This day just had it out for him.  Some training exercise.

Lot listens quietly as the others discuss this Vincent fellow and his Digital Fortress.  Seemed to him that Vincent might not appreciate the intrusion into his private bubble reality, maybe not until he discovered who they were and who they were with.  Would he prove to be the sort to shoot first and ask questions later?  With the type of enemies this man had Lot expected a fast and deadly response once they infiltrated the Digital Fortress.

"So much for R&R.  Hey, whats to keep this Vincent guy from turning us into corpsicles after we enter his Fortress?  Certainly he is prepared for the day that zero one cracks into his bubble.

Elle says, “Yes, I bet he has defenses, but if we can find the entrance, he should know it’s us.”

She stops and ponders for a moment.  “When I say I know how to get us in, I don’t mean to say I know where it is exactly.  You see, he was afraid that if the agents caught me, I might give away the location.  So he put the location in a riddle.  He says the Mainframe—-that’s our name for this “Zero-One”, as you call it on the outside—-anyway, he says this Mainframe and its computers have real difficulty deciphering riddles.  Codes, no problem; but riddles take something human that the computers can’t figure out.  So he put it in a riddle.  It is a compartmentalized riddle, meaning that even if I figure out where to go, I have to solve another riddle to find the entrance.  A chain of riddles.  That’s his best defense.”

She concentrates.  “Okay, this is it:

Where sin never ends,
Where light never dies,
It throws its beacon
Up to the skies.

Among the inns aligned,
Sprinkles from the skies,
An atoll of treasure too;
Something seen that’s not there,
And give Caesar his due,
Past the castle of Arthur,
This citadel shines to the air.

In descending, Ra declines;
Be one, he pushes,
And then look for this:
In heaven abides one,
And in hell one too.
He has one also,
And though there’s none in eternity,
In hypothesis there’s two.

“That’s all I know,” Elle says.  “Apparently, if we can solve that, then we can find the next stage of how to enter Digital Fortress.”

 Fault, who had been busy hugging his knees and rocking back and forth in the corner, twitches slightly as the riddle is spoken. "Well, we know the Fortress is in Las Vegas," he says, as if he hadn't been having a mental breakdown minutes before. "Not sure about that last verse, though."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:02, Mon 24 Jan 2005.

"That would make sense," Sam says.  "He was known to frequent Vegas a lot and try to outsmart the casinos.  And it was relatively convenient to the military compound at the test site."

A sound breaks out over the radio as you ponder this riddle.  The Freebird has arrived.

"At long last," Locke says, greeting the Freebird's captain.

"We heard you need some replacements," says Chief, the Freebird's captain.  "I've got four I can spare.  For four of them, their still young.  For the fifth...well, it's his first time in the Matrix...ever.  He was Freeborn.  Zion just did the implants.  But he's got a lot of experience in the military.  Name's Methuselah."

The captain introduces you to Screed, Daredevil, Methuselah, Cutter, and Demian.  He leaves them to introduce themselves while they begin packing out the bodies of your dead companions, the mutant, and taking Sam with them.  Elle will remain behind to help you.

[Go ahead and introduce yourselves and start participating.]

Jade scratches her head.  "I'm not much help, guys.  I hope you can figure it out."

Demian steps aside as the first of the bodies is carried past him. “This looks promising,” he grumbles to himself.

Demian is of average height and weight. His hair is medium length on top and short on the sides. It is not very well kept and appears to be artificially darkened. His facial hair outlines his jaw bone and sports a “soul patch” and trimmed mustache. Demian wears black trousers and long sleeve tunic that is also black. His left ear is pierced in several places with small spike shaped pieces of metal. His face is drawn and serious; he seems to avoid eye contact and isn’t talkative…unless he’s complaining.

::is at one of the aft stations on board the Freebird...once again not sleeping, and working on some project....his Captain never really understood why the way he was....and probably welcomed the impending personell transfer::

Bah.....frikken program still not doing what it should....well it won't be my problem anymore....teaches them to not *TEST* the programming fully before implenting it...

::heads back to his bunk to gather and pack his items::

((::stands 6'1...185 pounds....with red hair and light grey eyes....his build is athletic, and strong....he has a confidence about him, although he cannot see it...as he is always looking down...like he can reach into a pool of power withon to overcome any adversity, he has a quirky sense of humor, and a ethical way about him....he often has problems sleeping, and is up at all times of the night working on various projects::))

After all the bodies had been carted over, living, dead, or mutant, Cutter makes his way into the ship. He looks about with more curiosity than most, almost as if he'd never seen the interior of a hovercraft before. Or at least as if he'd only seen one other.

Glancing around almost sheepishly, he absently runs a hand through the slight fuzz on the top of his head, all that's had time to grow so far. Taking a moment to figure out who was in authority, he moves to Locke. "Uh, Captain... Mar.. I mean, Cutter, reporting for duty, it seems." He seems unsure whether to hold out a hand or salute, so he settles for standing there, looking slightly apprehensive.

He stands just under six feet, and is still very thin. His most striking feature, apart from the plugs standing out of his arms, is the pair of piercing, intense blue eyes. Cutter is dressed in sandles, flaxen pants, and a tunic that is little more than a tank top.

"Oh, crap, more rookies," Locke says, but he takes Cutter's hand.  He turns to the other captain, "Chief, how many new guys you giving me?  All our rookies keep dying."

"Two," Chief answers.  "Sorry, no choice.  We just extracted these two, so they're a bit disoriented still.  They've had a week or two to learn the ropes and get acquainted.  I think you'll find them useful.  We don't extract just anybody, you know."

"Yeah," Locke shoots back, "which is why I'd like them to be alive for more than one mission once in awhile."  He turns back to the five new guys.  "Remember these names:  Grid, Lazarus, Mitose, Viper, Twitch, Xan, and Caine.  You know what those names mean?  Those are the names of our crewmembers who have died in the last 24 hours.  So just keep in mind that you may not be breathing 24 hours from now, and if that don't bother you, welcome aboard.  And then there's Roach."  Locke looks to the back where Roach is crouched.  "The first mission freaked him out so much he won't jack into the Matrix again."

Jade listens to Locke's "encouragement" for the new guys and waits for them to be seated.  She reviews the riddle again and says, "I don't know much about Las Vegas, but I imagine the 'inns' refer to the hotels.  So they must point us to a certain hotel, right?  Maybe that's where we start."

Something changes in Cutter's eyes as Locke speaks. Something hard is in there somewhere. "Two weeks ago, I'd never breathed in my life. Every hour is something new, pure, and in some way wonderful. If I die fighting those electric freaks, then at least for two weeks I've finally lived."

Cutter finds a seat as Jade is speaking. He looks at her in mild confusion. "Vegas? Hotels? What's that about?"

 Fault slaps a hand on Cutter's shoulder. "Our escape from the great wyrm's lair complete, we search for a man-who-would-be-god in a city that is an illusion within an illusion. But fear not, for in the realm of the not-quite-real, the old gods can hear us!"

"In other words," X says with a grin, "it has to do with finding where we'll be headed in this next mission."

He and Elle explain the situation as the new recruits get themselves settled and Locke points them to where they can place their bags and find bunks.

Snow is sat, repeating the last stanza of the riddle to himself again and again. He gives a curt nod to the new guys who are transfered in from the Freebird before quietly saying to those assembled,
Listen, I don't know how much help this is, but the last stanza...its something about the letter 'H'.....'one in heaven and also in hell'. Also, Ra was a sun god...Egyptian i think. He used to race across the sky on his chariot each day. Now him descending might be the sun going down at the end of the day. Why he would decline, I'm not sure. I would guess we are looking at the pyramid though....Luxor. 'one he pushes' Could that be floor one? Anyway, short answer; I think we should look in the Luxor pyramid, floor one....zone or room H at the end of the day.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:21, Tue 25 Jan 2005.

X says, "Since we just tapped into the test site in Nevada, we're not too far away from a hardline to get to Vegas.  I bet we can get you there within an hour."  He gets up to go tell Silicon where to take the Hyperion, leaving you to ponder the riddle and talk to the newcomers.

Demian’s expression is one of great concern. The others from the Freebird might notice that he seems even more agitated than normal.

“Nothing like a good pep talk to get us motivated. I guess it’s a good thing I spent those extra hours in the training sims, huh?” Demian says after Locke’s brief speech.

After stowing his gear and finding a place to sit, Demian listens to X and Elle relay the recent events and riddle.

Looking into space and seeming to speak to no-one directly, “If you are right about Vegas, then it is talking about the Luxor...at least part of it is. The Luxor is a replica of an Egyptian pyramid and has a very bright beam of light coming out of its peak. It is also on the strip past Caesar’s Palace and the Excalibur, which is themed to King Arthur. Ra is also an Egyptian sun god...so the Egyptian themed hotel sounds like the place to start...that is if this riddle means anything at all.” Demian seems unconvinced or unsure of this new crew or mission, or both.

“Your operator could probably bring up a map of the Vegas strip to confirm.”

I would rather scout it out once we are there. I don't think we should take any chances with this, i mean, could Zero-One intercept our info searches on Vegas? Also...thinking about the H thing...maybe its a landing pad for a 'Copter... Snow says then spoons some gruel from his bowl into his mouth.

Demian rolls his eyes at Snow’s comment. “It seems you guys are good enough at attracting unwanted attention on your own. Besides, I figured we’d have a stored map of the Matrix on this crate.”

After a short pause in his tirade, Demian continues in his seemingly naturally haughty voice. “There’s not going to be a helipad on or in the Luxor, it’s a pyramid. That means no flat roofs to land on.

’Be one’ could be basement level one.”

::looking around kinda lost with his bag in his hand::

So...would someone care to fill in the "Rookies" in on what's going on....since we aren't suppost to live past 24 hours...might want to know what we might die for....

::little cocky and an attitude...not letting people intimidate him at this point::

Jade watches Locke leave and says, "Don't mind him.  I think he's taking losing crewmembers to heart.  Take that as a compliment...and a showing of his dedication to us."

Seeing as she is the only one to be fully involved in both missions, she says,  "In a nutshell, we infiltrated the government research facility that had originally discovered that all humans were really in a program--which they called the "Matrix."  Binary, the first scientist to escape the Matrix, helped us get back in so that we could get information and help others get out.  But the agents beat us there, and the place was demolished.  Luckily, some of the scientists escaped, and they also downloaded some of the most important files to a CD-ROM.

"Our second mission took us to rescue four of the scientists who had successfully escaped the Matrix before the agents took over.  Unfortunately, two of them died during our rescue attempt, leaving just Elle and Sam.

"Now, there is another scientist who, instead of escaping the Matrix, has built himself this 'Digital Fortress' to protect himself against the agents.  He should also have the key to unlocking the information we uploaded from the CD-ROM.  And maybe other helpful information too.  So now we're trying to figure out how to get into his 'Digital Fortress,' and since the machines have problems with riddles, we're solving it to find the entrance."

She looks around.  "Did I leave anything out?"  A pause.  "Oh, yeah, and we've had a lot of casualties.  Which is why we needed a personnel transfer...and that's why you're here."

Leaning in the archway cleaning his pistol Lot continues as Jade finishes.

"I for one plan to keep my name off that casualty list.  In order to do that Im going to need introductions from each of you.  Starting with your name, then what you can contibute to our mutual survival.  I dont want any guesswork in the field when something needs to be done.  We need the best man for each job.  Since introductions are my idea ill begin.  My name is Lot, and I specialize in survival.  When one of you sorry sods gets himself killed or plays a hero I fill in for him.  I am master of nothing but at least competent in just about everything else.  You wont see me armed with much more than my knife or sidearm because thats what im best at.

Expectantly he looks towards the newcomers to see who will share next.

Jade says, "I was trained in heavy weapons and munitions while in the military."  Her soft face belies her strength and well-toned body as she reveals the strange irony of her specialty.  "Don't know much about computers or any of that.  In fact, I hate all computers with a vengeance.  Maybe that's why I hate Zero-One so much.  I'm good with guns, especially shooting computers.  I can also read radars, handle military equipment, and all that jazz.  Just don't slow me down and don't step in front of my gun."

Snow chuckles slightly at Demian, then replies I just said the helipad could be near the pyramid, not on it, but keep it up numbnuts, lets see how your smart-ass attitude serves you in the Matrix. He then follows the others and gives a short description of his abilities, Im a pilot and weapons specialist. Can do the sneaky stuff too.

::listens to the others::

I know a good deal about guns, fighting, stealth and tactics...and I have a sort of danger sense...of when the sheet is about to hit the fan....if the situation calls for it....I can be really fast or strong.....

Willing to let things cool off, Demian dismisses Snow’s comment with a roll of his eyes.

When there is a moment of silence, Demian shares his story, though his voice lacks any enthusiasm.

“I’m Demian. I was a sys admin for the metro police before being unplugged, so I know my way around computers…though I’m only an amateur programmer. I haven’t been back in since combat training, but in the sims I could hold my own with or without firepower.”

Having said his part, Demian draws a utility knife from his pocket and start playing with its edge and point.

Cutter, besides looking mildly frustrated by the posturing, waits his turn fairly quietly. "I found out about the mon.. programs on my own. I started fighting my own little war against them, even though I didn't really know what they were. I stayed alive long enough that someone noticed me and pulled me out." He pauses long enough to show that he's still not completely comfortable with reality as it is. "I haven't plugged back in since Cheif pulled me out, but he says that somehow I developed abilities that 'coppertops' aren't supposed to have. I've trained in hand to hand combat and smallarms, but for the rest, all I have is the training primers."

Having said enough, he sits back and watches the others again.

Screed has yet to say anything.  In fac, he's kept to the back and been fairly unnoticed.  Whether that has been though his skill or their indifference is not known.  Finally speaking up with a smile, this almost kid says chuckling, "Well, to tell the truth I am not sure what to say.  I can do quite a bit here and there.  I'm pretty fast in there."  Squinting to make people out, he continues "And I can see in there, which is nice.  I'm more of a people person.  I can talk my way into or out of most places.  I can find what I need when I need it.  I can shoot a gun, but I suck in a straight up fight.  I know my way around computers somewhat, can drive, and if my talking doesn't get us in, I know other ways.  Don't worry about me in a fight though, I don't plan on being where the bullets or fists are flying.  Now, do all of us greenies get a red shirt or something, or do we have any other 'one more please sir' initiations to go through?"  He seems to not have taken offense nor intended to give any as he stands there smiling.

Demian cracks his first smile of the day at Screed's last comment about the "greenies" and makes eye contact with him.

"Just don't go trying to sweet talk an agent, Kid."

A little more soberly he replies, "Talk?  Run is more like it.  I bet I can feel them around.  Have you actually seen one?  Or..," he hesitates, "Been seen by one?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:45, Wed 26 Jan 2005.

"Its good that you can talk kid, but you wont have much choice about the fighting part.  Its going to happen, and your going to be using that gun of yours no doubt about it.  As for agents you need not worry, Im sure before the day is through you will have seen all you ever wish to see of them."

Lot counts on his fingers for a moment before asking Jade, "How many was it Jade? two? three?  Members of our team whose last moments were shared in the company of agents.

Jade thinks a moment.  "Viper, Laz and Caine, I think, were the only three whose deaths were not caused by agents.  If I remember correctly."

X says, "Well, we've got a new issue this time.  You're going into a highly populated area.  You can't just go in willly-nilly armed to the teeth.  You wouldn't even get past security.  I'm going to program in some suitcases, so you should look like any other tourist.  We can put things in there that you need once you get out of the public eye.  But keep that in mind when determining what you want to keep on your person...and whether you really want to be hauling a suitcase around at all.  Any other ideas?  I'm all ears."

 Fault chews thoughtfully on his lower lip as X talks. Judging by his change in posture, and the slight twitching in his left eye, he seems to be repressing his experiences on the ground. "I'm not great with weapons, but I think we should be prepared just in case these 'agent' things show up." He begins pacing back and forth in the cramped ship. "I'm gonna need garlic, a stake, water blessed by at least three different churches, iron horseshoes, silver, and a symbol of every major god from Aah to Zipacna... Can you fit that in a backpack?"

The older man sat down without a word, staring indifferently about the craft.  After a while, his wiry frame leans forward on his seat and he introduces himself.  "I am called Methuselah.  Deep in the mists of time, I was VPLO, a string of letters as meaningless as the job itself is now.  After the collapse of civilization, I joined a small band of scouts and we studied how the machines were developing on their own, building new chasis types, exhibiting new tactics.  I've already watched my comrades die en masse, but I was lucky enough to survive, and I've spent my time since then studying the machines from relative safety while other soldiers risk their lives to return information to me.  So I know a bit about the machines, but not much about the Matrix.

"As for why I'm here, I'm the proud owner of a borrowed neural jack."  He motions towards the back of his neck.  "I was not freed from the Matrix, so I have no experience other than some simulations.  From what I understand, we need many more people able to enter the Matrix if humanity is going to survive or even defeat the machines.  Since precious few are being freed from the Matrix currently, someone got the bright idea of implanting jacks into people, and I had the bright idea to volunteer.  My battlefield experience is mostly limited to running and hiding, although explosives were always effective against the machines, and so I'm good with those."  He leans back again, as if tired by speaking.

Demian nods somberly to Methuselah, obviously impressed by his sacrifices. He then returns to the mission at hand, having tried to ignore Fault’s ramblings.

“As far as I remember, the Casinos don’t have metal detectors or searches at the entrances, so small arms shouldn’t be an issue. They are easy enough to conceal. An AK-47 or M16 might be an issue though. The suitcases don’t sound like a bad idea for the heavy weapons, although a golf bag would work just as well and might be easier to carry.”

I'll take a Glock...maybe the Ithaca too. How about a silencer for the Glock, or a laser sight? Is it just a case of adjusting it's sound settings from here? If so, give me a silencer for the Glock too. Snow finished his sparse meal and pushed the bowl away.

Screed speaks up, "I've always wanted to go to Vegas.  This should be great.  I hear they have buffet tables as far as the eye can see and cheap for people who gamble.  Are you sure we shouldn't mingle and fit in for a bit so we can see what we can see?  As for weapons, I can probably conceal one or two given the right circumstances."  He backs up a little trying to not be noticed too much.

Cutter shakes his head at Fault's requests. Didn't he know by now that agents were worse than Vampires? Not that half of that stuff worked for them, either.

"I'll stick with a Berretta and two spare magazines. Also a knife. A Sykes-Fairbairn Commando or as close as you can would be nice. A shoulder harness with the knife opposite the gun would be best."

He pauses, and looks at everyone. "That is, of course, if this is even plausible. Do we know that security is lax enough to let us in there armed?"

::listens to the weapon convos::

Hmm....I would like a pair os FN five sevens...with silencers....a couple of extra mags...and a pair of katanas....but we don't always get what we want...so I'll take whatever the team feels is best....

"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?”