Screed runs through the stuff that has been bouncing around in his head, "Well, we have clues to get to hardline nodes and maybe to zero1 itself.  We have to work through the puzzles we were given, but at a guess, I believe we're going back to Vegas.  In fact, here they are.  Put your best people on it and give us your best guesses."  He relates the different puzzles as best he can.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:28, Mon 07 Jan 2008.

Jade says, "I bet some of the answers won't become clear until we're actually on the ground there.  We'd probably better just get going."

"I'm ready to go. We have enough questions that need to be answered as is."

General Blythe says, "Fair enough.  I think if you go in there, we will try to keep in contact with you to help you.  Please choose the equipment you are most comfortable with."

"Alright thanks and good luck on your part."

Binary steps forward and says, "With X gone, I will be your operator.  It's been a little while, but I'm probably the most qualified."

OOC: You will need to list the equipment/weapons you want for the trip.

XP Awarded:

OOC:  As soon as possible, please let me know your equipment and how you are using your character's experience points.

If I do not hear from you by the next week or so, I will assume your character has decided not to join us.

THE NODE NEXUS

You jack in, finding yourselves by a public phone behind an AM/PM which is next door to the hotel-casino Excalibur, between it and the Luxor.

There is hustle and bustle, but you are behind the building and no one seems to have noticed your arrival.

In your ear, you hear Binary say, "This will be your exit point."

"I'm gonna need this for my loadout...", Codec replies.

Street Clothes
3 Flash Grenades
3 Frag Grenades
1 Thermite Grenade
1 M-16 w/ 2 ammo clips
1 Glock w/ 2 Ammo clips
A small concealable, bullet proof Riot shield (Buckler type)
Ballistics Armor
Gear Belt


OOC: I have added +1 to Matrix Holdout. Obtained "Code Reading" Ability
This message was last edited by the player at 21:10, Tue 15 Jan 2008.

Jade will take her traditional gear:

Street Clothes
2 Flash Grenades
2 Frag Grenades
1 Thermite Grenade
1 M-16 - 5 ammo clips
1 beretta - 3 ammo clips
a big suitcase to put it in and look like a tourist

You make your way into the hotel.  Along with the extravagant medieval theme in Vegas style and the clinking of hundreds of slot machines, to your right is a gift shop, to your left is an information booth to buy tickets and the like, and straight in front of you opens up into the casino.

Jade says, "Let's walk around and look for anything relating to 'coffin.'  Sound good?"  She begins walking.

"Alright. Sounds good."

OOC: Okay, it looks like we have Jade, Screed, Codec, and possibly Cistron on this mission.

I plan on making this the final mission before closing this game, so you can either defeat Zero-One or be defeated.  I may reopen the game in the future after retooling it and when my time is more manageable.  But this is the final stretch, so let's see how it goes...

You do not have to walk far.  At the information-ticket booth, you see a man there who has a nametag reading, "Joe Coffin."

Jade walks up to the man behind the counter and bluntly says, "Mr. Coffin, tell me everything you know about Zero-One and the Node Nexus."

Codec shifts around nervously. He scans the room for any threats while his hands, hidden under his coat, rest near his weapons.

The man shifts nervously, looks left to right.  "Uh, excuse me?  I don't think I heard you correctly.  Would you like to buy a ticket to our Tournament of Kings?  It's a jousting knight show."

As he talks, he is reaching down to grab hold of something.


You are at the desk marked "Show Tickets"
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:40, Thu 17 Jan 2008.

Codec looks at Joe carefully scanning his every move.

OOC: Code Reading Joe, -1 FP

Coffin pulls out his hand, revealing...a hand-held walkie talkie.  He pushes its "speak" button and says something, but whatever he whispered into it is drowned out by the sound of the crowd around you and the clinking of slot machines.

"he just changed something in the Code. I don't know what...", Codec whispers to Jade.

Coffin looks around nervously.  "Follow me," he says to you in an urgent whisper barely audible around the casino noises.  You look past to where he gestures and see some sort of stairs leading down from behind his desk.

"They're coming for you," he says.  "They know you're here.  You don't have long."

He is trying to get you to go down into the tunnel that goes beneath.

Just then, you see two figures enter through the front entrance and look around like they are trying to find someone.  One is a woman wearing black spandex and sunglasses.  The other is a man with a leather jacket.  What really distinguishes them, what makes those around them start to run in the opposite direction, is the fact that they are both holding shotguns.

Jade says, "I guess we've got nothing to lose."

She follows Coffin but never takes her eyes...or gun...off him. ...
This message was last edited by the player at 19:14, Tue 17 Aug 2010.

"Let's keep moving." Codec replies and follows the duo out.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:14, Tue 17 Aug 2010.

You follow him down into the passageway.   Just as you are about to descend, you see another awkward pair approaching through the casino.  You recognize them as Merovingians from your previous visit.  One points at you, and they begin to sprint.

"Hurry," Coffin says, and leads you down.

As soon as everyone is down, he places his palm against the wall and concentrates for a moment.  You feel an awkward sense of deja vu and a change in the Code, and the door above you disappears.

"That will not hold them long," Coffin says.  "You have made some powerful enemies.  In fact, almost everyone will be out to get you for trying to take down Zero-One and everything they know.  It will destroy most of them."

He continues leading you down a long and narrow stairwell.  At last, you enter a hallway.  "We must get you to the Corridor through the Backdoor," Coffin says.

In your earphone, you hear Binary's voice, excited and panicked.  "What's going on?  I see everyone converging on that hotel.  The Merovingians, the Awakened, the Shadow Regime, Merotechs...and Agents...I see Agents headed your way!  And...what are those?  What--?  I've never seen...oh.  Oh, no!  They are the Faceless Ones.  Four of them are on the way too!  You've stirred up the whole hornet's nest."

Coffin leads you down a long hallway where there is a single door.  He opens the door, and you step through.  There, tied to a chair, is a woman.  Her head lilts, and you think she must be dead.  You gasp!  You know who this is.  You just spoke to her.  It is the Oracle!

The door closes behind you of its own accord.  Coffin turns and smiles.  "You have no friends," he says with a laugh.  His eyes sparkle and gleam.  He is not human, and you are not sure what kind of AI he is, but he sure looks dangerous.  He places a hand--which now seems sparkling and shiny like it is covered with metal plating--against the wall, and the door you just entered disappears.

The room you are in is 30 feet by 30 feet, with 10 foot high ceilings.  It is unornamented.  There appear to be no exits.

Codec tries to step between the bound woman and Coffin. "Oh we have friends and allies, but right now we have just...one...enemy." Codec says. He snaps his riot shield to his wrist with an audible click.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:53, Sat 26 Jan 2008.

OOC: Right now, I am only sure that Codec and Jade are in the game.  If anyone else would like to play, please let me know.  I think we need 3 or 4 minimum to make this work.  I'm going to have to put the game on hold until then.  We are close to the end of the campaign for those who stick with it, and yes, you do have a chance to take down Zero-One.