The tall man walks through a dark corridor.  He opens a door and allows you to enter the next room.  It is a magnificent room with exquisite decor.  The walls are lined in gold; the furniture is plush and grand; and two marble staircases lead around the wall to an overlooking balcony.

The man gestures toward the chairs.  He snaps a finger, and almost instantly, a woman appears with a silver tray with cups and a silver pitcher.  "Drink?" he asks you, motioning the woman over.

He sits into the chair opposite you.  It is large to take in his larger stature.

As he waits for you to sit, he says, "You must tell me why you are here to see Dr. Giovanni.  As you may well know, he does not allow visitors."
This message was last updated by the GM at 04:25, Tue 21 June 2005.

Screed starts to speak up as he stands in front of the chair he has chosen.  Standing with his mouth open for a couple of seconds, he suddenly turns his head to the others and says, "Yeah, why are we here?  I know it has to be important.  I guess I missed that part of the lecture."

Turning back to the bald man, he nods his head towards the others and says, "Sorry, one of them is the director, I'm just a lowly actor.  By the way, do you have any hors d'oeuvres to go with the drink, maybe some crackers and cheese, or even just some of those little cocktail sausages wrapped in bread with mustard?  Whatever you can spare..."  He looks a little sheepish as his voice trails off and he finally just plops down in his chair nodding for the drink.

The man snaps his fingers again.  Within seconds, the woman appears with exactly what Screed has asked for.

"You come here without knowing why?  Risk your lives.  Who sent you?  The Shadow Regime?"

Screed's eyes go wide as the food appears.  Quickly he starts to snatch it then hesitates.  He gains control and politely takes the items off the trays.  Settling back, he starts to eat.  Utter contentment crosses his features as he responds between bites, "Shadow Regime?  *bite*chew*  I don't think so, Locke sent us.  *bite*chew*  Something about danger *chew*chew*  and finding your creator first before 'them'.  *bite*chew*  mmmmmmm."  Screed is very content to ramble on and eat.

Methuselah nods at the woman, "Water is fine for me."  He turns his attention to the giant before them.  "The man we seek is a master of the digital realm, and we need his help.  While his knowledge has made an impenetrable fortress around himself, we seek his aid in attempting to thwart the establishment of a digital prison over most of mankind.  Humanity still fights against the machines, and we need his assistance.  I do not know the specifics of the plan that Zion has in mind, but we have followed his riddle in the chain to get here and ask his help."

The man doesn't hesitate.  "We have no knowledge of this Zion or Locke around here.  An unknown entity is not an ally.  And why should one be concerned with a prison for humanity when humanity is content within that prison?  Do you propose to release them from blissful ignorance into painful acknowledgment of reality?  Without even giving them a choice?"